Lesson 284. I can elect to change all thoughts that hurt.
Loss is not loss when properly perceived. Pain is impossible. There is no grief
with any cause at all. And suffering of any kind is nothing but a dream. This is
the truth, at first to be but said and then repeated many times; and next to be
accepted as but partly true, with many reservations. Then to be considered
seriously more and more, and finally accepted as the truth. I can elect to
change all thoughts that hurt. And I would go beyond these words today, and past
all reservations, and arrive at full acceptance of the truth in them.
Father, what You have given cannot hurt, so grief and pain must be impossible.
Let me not fail to trust in You today, accepting but the joyous as Your gifts;
accepting but the joyous as the truth.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lesson 284. "I can elect to change all thoughts that hurt."
*This is another important lesson for its concise description of the learning
process of A Course in Miracles. The lesson's theme recalls Lesson 281, "I can
be hurt by nothing but my thoughts." This is further developed by emphasizing
the aspect of decision: Since these hurtful thoughts were chosen by me, I can
now elect -- i.e., choose -- to change them.*
(1:1-4) "Loss is not loss when properly perceived. Pain is impossible. There is
no grief with any cause at all. And suffering of any kind is nothing but a
dream."
*Loss, pain, grief, and suffering are made up. As we saw in Lesson 187, we can
laugh at sickness, starvation, poverty, and death. We laugh, not because we are
making fun of ourselves or others who are in pain, but because of the silliness
in believing that a part of God could wrench itself from Him and therefore
suffer. Our gentle laughter reflects the Atonement that says the separation
never happened, and it is important to recognize our deep investment in pain and
grief, for these prove that we are right and Jesus has lied to us. His response,
however, is that deep down we do not believe this, and he now describes the
process of our coming to this truth.*
(1:5-6) "This is the truth, at first to be but said and then repeated many
times; and next to be accepted as but partly true, with many reservations. Then
to be considered seriously more and more, and finally accepted as the truth."
*Jesus traces the course of every student's process. First we read the words and
say them over and over, struggling to understand them. We then attempt to accept
their truth -- perhaps they are true, but not all the time -- and even if we
believe intellectually they are true, our daily lives certainly do not
demonstrate that belief. Yet Jesus understands we are not going to accept this
immediately, for it is a process spanning many, many years, not simply months.
In fact, the Course's truth goes directly against everything we believe and
stand for as separate entities. Thus considerable time and hard work are
required to admit gratefully -- albeit begrudgingly at first -- we were wrong
about everything, especially the person we think we see in our bathroom mirror
every morning. When we finally accept our mistake -- and Jesus does not mean our
intellectual acceptance -- we are in the real world, for we have learned
everything our teacher can teach us.
Jesus now returns to the message of the lesson.*
(1:7-8) "I can elect to change all thoughts that hurt. And I would go beyond
these words today, and past all reservations, and arrive at full acceptance of
the truth in them."
*Recognizing our fear, Jesus asks us to practice with this thought, for truth is
terrifying to our separated ego's. Again, he does not expect us to accept his
lesson without reservation, but he is asking for our little willingness to be
taught.*
(2) "Father, what You have given cannot hurt, so grief and pain must be
impossible. Let me not fail to trust in You today, accepting but the joyous as
Your gifts; accepting but the joyous as the truth."
*God's gift is the principle of the Atonement -- His Love remains unbroken, and
we, His Son, are healed and restored to the awareness of our wholeness.*
