Lesson 315. All gifts my brothers give belong to me.
(1) Each day a thousand treasures come to me with every passing moment. I am blessed with gifts throughout the day, in value far beyond all things of which I can conceive. A brother smiles upon another, and my heart is gladdened. Someone speaks a word of gratitude or mercy, and my mind receives this gift and takes it as its own. And everyone who finds the way to God becomes my savior, pointing out the way to me, and giving me his certainty that what he learned is surely mine as well.
(2) I thank You, Father, for the many gifts that come to me today and every day from every Son of God. My brothers are unlimited in all their gifts to me. Now may I offer them my thankfulness, that gratitude to them may lead me on to my Creator and His memory.
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Below, is from Kenneth Wapnick's commentaries on this lesson, from "Journey Through the Workbook of A Course in Miracles," which can be purchased at the following site: ~ M. Street.
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Lesson 315. "All gifts my brothers give belong to me."
These two lessons share the theme that giving and receiving are the same, a concept grounded in the oneness of God's Son. The gifts of which Jesus speaks may be understood on two levels: the opportunities for forgiveness that the special relationship which my brother provides, and my brother's gift of forgiveness reminding me I can choose again, as I do when I am in my right mind. We do this for and with each other because of the underlying oneness of God's Son, even in the illusion.
(1:1-2) "Each day a thousand treasures come to me with every passing moment. I am blessed with gifts throughout the day, in value far beyond all things of which I can conceive."
These gifts come in every moment, in every relationship -- the opportunity to look past the ego's gifts of specialness to Jesus' gift of seeing the Son as God created him.
"There is no gift the Father asks of you but that you see in all creation but the shining glory of His gift to you. Behold His Son, His perfect gift, in whom his Father shines forever, and to whom is all creation given as his own." (T-29.V.5:1-2).
(1:3) "A brother smiles upon another, and my heart is gladdened."
I am gladdened because now there is hope. If this brother can change his mind and forgive, where before he was attacking, I can, too, since God's Son is one. Indeed, no greater joy exists in this world than knowing one is forgiven.
(1:4-5) "Someone speaks a word of gratitude or mercy, and my mind receives this gift and takes it as its own. And everyone who finds the way to God becomes my savior, pointing out the way to me, and giving me his certainty that what he learned is surely mine as well."
In A Course in Miracles, Jesus usually goes the other way, telling us that <our> change of mind is the healing gift to our brother. However, in reversing the direction of forgiveness here, he reflects that whether I give the gift to you, or you to me, it is God's Son giving to himself. It is the gift that says we can make another choice, for our love and peace tell each other and ourselves that we can choose again.
(2) "I thank You, Father, for the many gifts that come to me today and every day from every Son of God. My brothers are unlimited in all their gifts to me. Now may I offer them my thankfulness, that gratitude to them may lead me on to my Creator and His memory."
This echoes the idea of gratitude that embraces us even in painful circumstances, for these cause us to ask Jesus for help, accepting his teaching that says that by changing our minds we can look at this relationship or situation another way. Recall this prayer from "The gifts of God":
"Father, we thank You for these gifts that we have found together. Here we are redeemed. For it is here we joined, and from this place of holy joining we will come to You because we recognize the gifts You gave and would have nothing else." (The Gifts of God, p.119).
In joining with Jesus, therefore, we join with our brothers, and we give thanks for the gift of remembrance that is ours at last.
