You who were created by Love like Itself can hold no grievances and know
your Self. To hold a grievance is to forget who you are. To hold a
grievance is to see yourself as a body. It is the decision to let the
ego rule your mind and to condemn the body to death.
Perhaps you do not yet fully realize just what holding grievances does
to your awareness. It seems to split you off from your Source, and make
you unlike Him. It makes you believe that he is like what you think you
have become, for no-one can conceive of his Creator as unlike himself.
Shut off from your Self, Who remains aware of His likeness to His
Creator, your Self seems to sleep, while the part of your mind that
weaves illusions in its sleep appears to be awake. Can all this arise
from holding grievances? Oh, yes! For he who holds grievances denies he
was created by Love, and his Creator has become fearful to him in his
dreams of hate. Who can dream of hatred and not fear God?
It is as sure that those who hold grievances will redefine God in their
own image as it is certain that God created them like Himself and
defined them as part of Him. It is as sure that those who hold
grievances will suffer guilt as it is certain that those who forgive
will find peace. It is as sure that those who hold grievances will
forget who they are as it is certain that those who forgive will
remember. Would you not be willing to relinquish your grievances if you
believed all this were so?
Perhaps you do not think you can let all your grievances go. That,
however, is simply a question of motivation. Today we will try to find
out how you would feel without them. If you succeed even by ever so
little, there will never be a problem in motivation ever again.
Begin today’s extended practice period by searching your mind for those
against whom you hold what you regard as major grievances. Some of these
will be quite easy to find. Then think of the seemingly minor grievances
you hold against those you like, and even think you love. It will
quickly become apparent that there is no-one against whom you do not
cherish grievances of some sort. This has left you alone in all the
universe in your perception of yourself.
Determine now to see all these people as friends. Say to them all
collectively, thinking of each one in turn as you do so:
“I would see you as my friend,
that I may remember you are part of me,
and come to know myself.”
Spend the remainder of the practice period trying to think of yourself
as completely at peace with everyone and everything, safe in a world
which protects you and loves you, and which you love in return. Try to
feel safety surrounding you, hovering over you, and holding you up. Try
to believe, however briefly, that nothing can harm you in any way. At
the end of the practice period tell yourself:
“Love holds no grievances. When I let all my grievances go I will
know I am perfectly safe.”
The short practice periods should include a quick application of today’s
idea in this form, whenever any thought of grievance arises against
anyone, physically present or not:
“Love holds no grievances. Let me not betray my Self.”
In addition, repeat the idea several times an hour in this form:
“Love holds no grievances.
I would wake to my Self by laying
all my grievances aside and wakening in Him.”