No-one can give unless he has. In fact, giving is proof of having. We
have made this point before. What seems to make it hard to credit is not
this. No-one can doubt that you must first possess what you would give.
It is the second phase on which the world and true perception differ.
Having had and given, then the world asserts that you have lost what you
possessed. The truth maintains that giving will increase what you
possess.
How is this possible? For it is sure that if you give a finite thing
away, your body’s eyes will not perceive it yours. Yet we have learned
that things but represent the thoughts that make them. And you do not
lack for proof that when you give ideas away, you strengthen them in
your own mind. Perhaps the form in which the thought seems to appear is
changed in giving. Yet it must return to him who gives. Nor can the form
it takes be less acceptable. It must be more.
Ideas must first belong to you, before you give them. If you are to save
the world, you first accept salvation for yourself. But you will not
believe that this is done until you see the miracles it brings to
everyone you look upon. Herein is the idea of giving clarified and given
meaning. Now you can perceive that by your giving is your store
increased.
Protect all things you value by the act of giving them away, and you are
sure that you will never lose them. What you thought you did not have is
thereby proven yours. Yet value not its form. For this will change, and
grow unrecognizable in time, however much you try to keep it safe. No
form endures. It is the thought behind the form of things that lives
unchangeable.
Give gladly. You can only gain thereby. The thought remains and grows in
strength as it is reinforced by giving. Thoughts extend as they are
shared, for they can not be lost. There is no giver and receiver in the
sense the world conceives of them. There is a giver who retains; another
who will give as well. And both must gain in this exchange, for each
will have the thought in form most helpful to him. What he seems to lose
is always something he will value less
than what will surely be returned to him.
Never forget you give but to yourself. Who understands what giving means
must laugh at the idea of sacrifice. Nor can he fail to recognize the
many forms which sacrifice may take. He laughs as well at pain and loss,
at sickness and at grief, at poverty, starvation and at death. He
recognizes sacrifice remains the one idea that stands behind them all,
and in his gentle laughter are they healed.
Illusions recognized must disappear. Accept not suffering, and you
remove the thought of suffering. Your blessing lies on everyone who
suffers when you choose to see all suffering as what it is. The thought
of sacrifice gives rise to all the forms that suffering appears to take.
And sacrifice is an idea so mad that sanity dismisses it at once.
Never believe that you can sacrifice. There is no place for sacrifice in
what has any value. If the thought occurs, its very presence proves that
error has arisen, and correction must be made. Your blessing will
correct it. Given first to you, it now is yours to give as well. No form
of sacrifice and suffering can long endure before the face of one who
has forgiven and has blessed himself.
The lilies that your brother offers you are laid upon your altar, with
the ones you offer him beside them. Who could fear to look upon such
lovely holiness? The great illusion of the fear of God diminishes to
nothingness before the purity that you will look on here. Be not afraid
to look. The blessedness you will behold will take away all thought of
form, and leave instead the perfect gift forever there, forever to
increase, forever yours, forever given away.
Now are we one in thought, for fear has gone. And here, before the altar
to One God, One Father, One Creator and One Thought, we stand together
as one Son of God. Not separate from Him Who is our Source; not distant
from one brother who is part of our One Self Whose innocence has joined
us all as one, we stand in blessedness and give as we receive. The Name
of God is on our lips. And as we look within, we see the purity of
Heaven shine in our reflection of our Father’s Love.
Now are we blessed, and now we bless the world. What we have looked upon
we would extend, for we would see it everywhere. We would behold it
shining with the grace of God in everyone. We would not have it be
withheld from anything we look upon. And to
ensure this holy sight is ours, we offer it to everything we see. For
where we see it, it will be returned to us in form of lilies we can lay
upon our altar, making it a home for Innocence Itself,Who dwells in us
and offers us His Holiness as ours.