A Course In Miracles - Year One

I didn’t know what to expect when I decided to start doing the daily lessons in my A Course in Miracles text. I had received the book in March 2010 and started reading the text shortly after. I’ve never been one to highlight textbooks in the past, but this book had so much information to digest that I was very tempted! Instead, I took to a notebook, jotting down quotes that resonated with me. After putting a pause on reading the text to focus on the daily lessons, I plan to return to the text and begin the lessons again in the New Year.

The themes in the lessons are consistent and have given me a lot to think about throughout the year, and I know that revisiting them on a yearly basis can only solidify those concepts in my being. I’m sure that in this brief summary I will not cover some themes present in the lessons, but the ones that really stayed with me are the concepts of love, forgiveness, sinlessness, illusion and of course, miracles.

It shouldn’t be a big surprise that love is a constant theme in the lessons. I now understand what is meant by the saying that our actions either come from place of fear or a place of love. When we can realize our connection with God, we can only act from a place of love, never fear. I grew up with the impression that God judged us as his children, and would punish all misdeeds. A Course in Miracles provides a different perspective. It reminds us that God only knows love and does not judge or punish. He sees all of his children as perfect, sinless, and our image of ourselves or our brothers as anything other than that is a false one that the ego imposes on us.

The theme of forgiveness has always been a big one for me, as it is a concept that I have struggled with. A Course in Miracles teaches us that there is no transgression that God will not or cannot forgive. It also teaches us that forgiveness is one of the greatest gifts that we can give ourselves and others. Holding on to grudges and being unable to let go of the past is to hold on to an illusion, and it cannot lead to peace of mind and contentment. It has taken a long time for this message to permeate my consciousness, however I now understand it in a way that I hadn’t before.

The lessons of the book also teach that miracles happen every day. They are not the grandiose, unexplained events that we sometimes hear or read about. Miracles are happening all the time. The reason many of us do not recognize this is because we are too busy focusing on what’s going wrong in our lives or in the world around us that we take for granted all of the good that happens in spite of ourselves! I have learned to have a greater appreciation for the little things in life and show gratitude on a daily basis. I now understand that miracles aren’t just performed or given to a chosen, special set of people. I know that we are all capable of receiving or performing miracles; we just have to believe anything is possible and have faith.

Another great lesson that I have learned is that sin and guilt are instruments of the ego. They are not the truth or reality, but simple illusion created by the ego for self preservation. Feelings of sinfulness and guilt allow us to feel that we are unworthy of good, of the prosperity and abundance that is our divine right. When times are difficult, I have to remind myself that the world I perceive is not from a place of truth, but of illusion and if I want to see the truth, I have to observe through the eyes of God.

I am so grateful for the inspiration to obtain the text and do the lessons. It has challenged some long held beliefs I had about the nature of God and provided me with a perspective of the world that I know in my core to be the truth. I look forward to reading more of the text and starting the daily lessons again. I know that each time I do the lessons I will learn something that I didn’t the last time. A Course in Miracles has been a great aid in my spiritual growth and I look forward to learning new and wonderful things!