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, 17:37, 30 October 2014Created page with 'Image:lighterstill.jpgright|frame <center>'''I bless the world because I bless myself.'''</center> I bless the world because I bless myself. No o...'
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<center>'''I bless the world because I bless myself.'''</center>
I bless the world because I bless myself.
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.
Illusion 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.
[[Category: Workbook I]]
<center>'''I bless the world because I bless myself.'''</center>
I bless the world because I bless myself.
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.
Illusion 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.
[[Category: Workbook I]]
