Lesson 121: “Forgiveness is the key to happiness.”

This lesson says, “The unforgiving mind is full of fear and offers love no room to be itself, no place where it can spread its wings in peace and soar above the turmoil of the world.”  When our minds are full of fear then doubt becomes more familiar than love.  Then suffering becomes necessary because we are so filled with feelings that give us nothing but hearts of grief.

It helps if we understand what fear is truly about. 

The Course says that there are only two emotions- love and fear. 

And all other feelings that seem to also exist are simply broken down into these two emotions when we look at what feeling is at the origin of them.  This means that we can understand that all things that have that hint of love and inspiration and forgiveness are all forms of love.  All other feelings that are not love are nothing but fear.  This includes way more than we may be used to categorizing as fear.  This means we are probably feeling fear most of the time when we do things in the world as our ego self is no stranger to a potent dose of fear.

Fear of course helps us because it gives us information about what it is that is going through us.

We can ask it what is most helpful to say to it or to offer to it. 

We can have a conversation with whatever that fear thought and feeling may be, and simply be a witness to its healing because we can with God’s guidance and love.

What we want to do is not be afraid of fear.  Remember that no matter how potent its intensity can be, it is truly open to being healed when we invite God to heal it for us.

We just must carry this kindness within about the fear. 

We are asked to evaluate it and not judge, rather approach it as an old friend because joining with that fear is the way to heal it.  We just need to hold a clear acceptance of it. 

This energetic joining with it is the way that we don’t reject it internally and then we can meet it in its need and listen until we are moved to let it go from our minds.

The fear is never more than a mistaken perception. When God takes this fear, then God always showers our minds with love because God has all the love that we could ever need to erase any memory of fear.

The Course teaches us that fear has no power to take us off of our path.

All we have to do is remember that fear is unreal.  When we feel gripped in the clutches of intense fear, all we need to do is pray, ask God for direction how to heal.  Then we can sit and feel the feeling if we feel so called.

Then after we have been authentic with whatever feelings came up for us in this process, then we can let it all go. 

The Course says that releasing the fear is the way to a peaceful mind.  Our fear is always our own belief in what is not love.  The Course says, take time to sit with fear and then let it go.  We are learning to experience feelings that are not love with a true sense of acceptance and compassion and invite it to be heard in our inner sanctuary.  We listen because we just want to give it love this way.

When we spend time with the fear when Holy Spirit guides us to do this, this is the way to shower it with love.  We give it space to be heard and we cherish it in whatever neediness comes up.  This is our way to heal when we give our minds space to sit in quiet with the fear and listen to what it thinks are woes.  We show up and allow it to be whatever it is.  We completely reserve judgement because God teaches us how to leave judgement at the door.  This is the way to heal.