Hello Friends,

Today's topic was an important lesson for me, and it remains a lesson that must be kept in the mind when interacting with people through action or thought. Whenever this lesson is lost, we are lost in ego. But when it is remembered, we have placed our mind with the Holy Spirit.

We seem to have many relationships in our life. Parents, kids, significant others, friends, co-workers, neighbors, etc.

Last year, as I meditated on ACIM workbook lesson 326, I am forever the Effect of God, I heard these words in my mind

Look at Spirit within. That is the only true relationship, for that is the relationship with Self. Look only to that relationship. That is the Effect of God that is you. Let all other relationships go. Love Spirit. Look only to Spirit. Listen only to Spirit. There is no exception; Everything else is illusion.

This message from Holy Spirit bothered me. I resisted it. I resisted it because it said, "Let all other relationships go." My first thought was that I had to abandon my relationship with my daughter. I began to look at all of the important relationships in my life and think about letting them go. I didn't want to do it. I didn't like this message from Spirit.

I decided that Spirit must not mean that I have to let go of my relationships with people. I decided he must be talking about my relationship with money, with my house and with other things. I decided he must talking about my relationship with being on time, with being responsible. I was willing to accept anything as the interpretation of this message, except that I had to give up my relationships with people.

As a month passed, I gave more and more willingness to all of the messages that I received from Spirit. And then one day, Spirit came to me again about relationships

It seems like you have many relationships, but that is simplified if, first, you can see there are only two. At any given moment, with each thought, you are either having a relationship with the ego or the Holy Spirit. Any other seeming relationship is illusion. It does not exist. There are only two.

Once you accept this simplification, there is yet another one. The ego is only an aspect of your imagination. Can it then, be called a true relationship? If that which is imagined isn’t real, what is the only true relationship?

Think on this today, and be glad.

With this, I understood. I do not have relationships with people. I only have relationships with the thoughts in my mind. When I look at anyone, what I look at is my thoughts in my mind about them. All I see when I look at anything are my thoughts, and relationships are no different.

So when I look at my daughter, for example, I am not having relationship with some one who is outside of me. I am having relationship with my thoughts. And my thoughts at any moment are ego thoughts or thoughts from my true Self.

With this understanding, the first message that I had resisted made perfect sense

Look at Spirit within. That is the only true relationship, for that is the relationship with Self. Look only to that relationship. That is the Effect of God that is you. Let all other relationships go. Love Spirit. Look only to Spirit. Listen only to Spirit. There is no exception; Everything else is illusion.

This is asking me to let go of ego thoughts. Where ever I think I see them . . . how ever they seem to come into my mind . . . I am asked to always let them go. I am asked not to have relationship with those thoughts. It is a simple request, and it is one I give willingness and practice to.

So, I do not have relationship with parent, kids, significant other, friends, co-workers, and neighbors. I have relationship with my thoughts. And if I look at you and feel anything but peace, love and acceptance, I am listening to ego. That is a time for forgiveness. It is a time of letting go of thoughts that I do not want to have relationship with.

Here's a recent thought that Spirit gave me, which goes along with this same lesson

Do not worry
about your brother’s thought.
For the thought
you think
he thinks
is a thought
within your mind.

With Love,

Regina