He Waited
He waited:
I left Jesus behind at the end of 9th grade, my last year at Catholic school, believing there was little need to think of him from then on. My spiritual life shaped up from teenage years reading Carlos Castaneda, Alan Watts, Chögyam Trungpa, and exploring various mystical traditions. There was little room for the traditional figure of Jesus. In my mid 20s I began hearing references to a transformational book called A Course in Miracles and thought I should consider it with a browse. Within the book, Jesus found me again, not right away, but through the course of continuous returns to the pages. This was a different Jesus than experienced before, infinitely compassionate, patient, and with the single greatest promise that was ever made to me…
³If you want to be like me I will help you, knowing that we are alike. ⁴If you want to be different, I will wait until you change your mind. (ACIM, T-8.IV.6:3–4)
so Jesus had waited for me.
and now he offered to help me be like him. Which was something beyond my understanding at the time, intriguing, and so sweetly offered that my heart immediately accepted. Yes, I wanted to be like this Jesus, filled with a loving-kindness that only a forgiving mind could afford to extend. What I quickly discovered was that this was a means of awakening, every bit as demanding as any Zen discipline, a mindfulness practice of continuous forgiveness, a yogic path of pure devotion.
What could you want forgiveness cannot give? ²Do you want peace? ³Forgiveness offers it. ⁴Do you want happiness, a quiet mind, a certainty of purpose, and a sense of worth and beauty that transcends the world? ⁵Do you want care and safety, and the warmth of sure protection always? ⁶Do you want a quietness that cannot be disturbed, a gentleness that never can be hurt, a deep abiding comfort, and a rest so perfect it can never be upset?
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All this forgiveness offers you, and more.
this was my path, Jesus had waited for me and I was now ready. My commitment has never wavered, although my practice has often been unsteady. Through the years, and no matter what’s happened, Jesus has extended his love to me, never once causing my faith to falter. He believes in me. He is infinitely patient. He loves me.
he tells me that we are alike.
and finally,
I believe him
~
I love you, Eric
