God:

My child, you are the sunshine in the window at early dawn. You brighten the day. You are a shining soul on earth. You are the sun coming out. You give comfort to the earth. You reflect My light and beam it out to the hungry souls on earth.

You are My vision. You are what I envisioned. You are My heart's delight.

I tell you this to express My joy at what I have created. Each of My children on earth is a part of Me that I long to have recognize Me as I recognize them.

I am the Loving Father of all the lonely ones who think they are orphans and roam the earth alone. I seek them, and find them, but they do not recognize Me. Sometimes they do not see Me at all. They don't say, "Who is this?" or "What's this?" They say, "Whaaa? Where? Nothing is here."

I say: "Here am I! Here am I!"

My words do not reach them.

Never do I fail to call to My children, lost on earth without their Father, wandering for they know not what, wandering for the sweet nectar of satisfaction that I so generously bequeath and that they don't see.

They have wanderGod. They are looking to find something. They look in many places. For moments, they think they have found what they sought, but it is a toy that enchants today and tomorrow does not.

All seek for Me. They know not My Name. They think it is Pleasure, but I am Joy. They distract themselves with noise. They think I am Forgetfulness. But I am Fulfillment. I am that which is to be remembered, not run from. They mistake Me for another.

Why hide? Why run? Why flee from yourself, your holiness, your Heaven?

You exist and you cannot be run away from.

Look up higher than your feet.

Gloria, you remember the story of your father as he arrived off the boat from Russia to America? A kind man gave him a banana. Your father had never seen a banana before. When he started to eat it, the kind man started to take it back from your father. Your father ran away from the kind man. When the kind man caught up to your father, he didn't want to take the banana; he wanted to show your father how to peel a banana.

Life is the banana I have given you. Like your earthly father, Gloria, My children run from Me, perceiving smallness rather than love. But soon or late, I catch up, show truth, and My children recognize the goodness of life, and the One Who gave it.

Gloria:

Dear God, the meaning of my dad's story is greater than I ever thought. I thought it was a story of how we act based on what we perceive.

God:

The innocence of your earthly father is the innocence of all My children.

All experiences in a lifetime point to Me. You make discoveries. A stranger reminds you of your path. A word rekindles a flame in your soul, and all the time it was I calling to you.

Your earthly father thought the kind man wanted to take something away from him when the kind man wanted to give him knowledge. When the kind man caught up to your innocent father, your father learned how to peel the banana of life.

This is what I teach you, Gloria. That is the simplicity of My teachings and your walk on earth.

Receive Me, and you receive knowledge of your heart. Receive Me, and you receive the love you are. Receive Me, and I take away your burdens. Receive My children, and you receive Me.

Receiving Me means to awaken to Me. And who am I but your Self.

Another story of your earthly father many years later. After being unconscious, when you father awoke, he said, "Where I am? Where I am?"

This is a sweet question all ask as they begin to wake up. That is more than beginning. It is a signal of the beginning that has already begun. The beginning was waking up. Next was the question.

How good are questions. All questions have a common answer: God is here, God is here, waiting for you to wake up, to open your eyes, and to see Him. Ask questions.

Gloria:

Dear God, my father would be so happy that You used examples from his life. My father longed to be recognized.

God:

As do I, your Heavenly Father.

Gloria:

He always longed for peace.

God:

I give peace.

Gloria:

He used to think, to ponder. Now I think he was getting faraway glimpses of You.

God:

He was getting faraway remembrances.

No matter how far someone may think he is from Me, he is not. He is as close as My hand. He is closer, for he is in My heart, as I am in his. I am always close.

A faraway remembrance means a third step in recognizing Me.

First, the waking up. Second, the question. Third, the eyes start to catch a faraway glimpse of memory.

Gloria:

What is fourth?

God:

The heart sees.

Gloria:

Fifth?

God:

The humans can name what they see.

Gloria:

Sixth?

God:

They call Me.

Gloria:

Seventh?

God:

They see Me standing before them. They hear My voice. They know Our common Will, and they follow It, and that is Heaven. And that is where you are.

Gloria:

And there is more?

God:

Always. That is infinity.

Gloria:

So, it is always a beginning?

God:

Yes.

Gloria:

There is always another rung on the ladder?

God:

Better to say that the eye opens wider. You are already at the top. There is nowhere to go but where you already are. All comes to you anyway.

Gloria:

So, knowing You is receiving?

God:

Allowing yourself to receive. I wonder why My children are afraid of Me. They have accepted a fearful false illusion of life and fashioned a phantom of a God, a harsh Taskmaster, a Faultfinder.

Tell them, Gloria, that I find no fault. There is no fault beyond failing to know who they are which is Myself. My Name is God. What is yours?

Gloria:

Child of You — child of God.

God:

God's own Self.

Gloria:

It is always amazing to me to see where You take me in the writing. It is like I am blindfolded. I have no idea where You are going to take me. You always take me somewhere, and it is always a surprise. Is there no end to the surprises?

God:

No end.

A Course in Miracles, Lesson 269:
"My sight goes forth to look upon Christ's face."

God:

And that is Reality. Beyond appearances. Appearance is not Truth. Truth is Truth. Look beneath and beyond the appearance, and what is there but your Self?

Later…

Gloria to God:

Dear God, Lonnie has talked to a wonderful man, Barry, on Internet. Karen affirmed that he is special. Lonnie sent him a picture of herself when she was thin. Stan, a friend of Lonnie's, made the remark that no one will ever love her overweight. Lonnie hasn't told Barry that she has gained a lot of weight since the pictures were taken. Barry wants to meet with Lonnie.

The real thing is that Lonnie believes what Stan said — before he even said it. And yet beautiful Lonnie likes people for themselves, not their looks.

What would You like to say on Lonnie's behalf?

God:

Oh, the relative! Lonnie does not give herself enough credit so why would she give Barry credit? Being thin isn't the answer to everything. Lonnie will do well to write down all the reasons why Barry would enjoy her company. Tell her to make a fast long list. Then suggest she write down all the reasons why she deserves happiness and why she deserves a good man.

Lonnie will do well to remember that her value isn't set by COSMO or Stan. I set her value. She is a magnificent person on all levels.

Lonnie can have all her dreams fulfilled. And yet, relative life is a risk.

Lonnie would do well to read the Bible.

Gloria:

The Bible? Not A Course in Miracles?

God:

The Bible for Lonnie. Suggest that Lonnie start painting. Have her get involved in creativity. Send Barry something she has painted.

Lonnie may want to call Karen again about what she feels, leave a message.

Suggest that Lonnie copy over her notes from Karen, select key quotations, and pin them up where she will see them.

Also suggest that she read over My reply to the gentleman from a few weeks ago.

Suggest that Lonnie focus more on how she can be good for Barry. Give him a chance to know her. Tell him right away that she has gained weight.

How can she feel strong when Barry is responding to a svelte Lonnie? She will feel better when she tells him. I cannot tell Lonnie that Barry will or will not be affected. That is up to Barry. I can say he is a good man who can offer much to her.

When Lonnie sent younger pictures of herself without explanation, Stan sensed her feelings of weakness and reflected them to her.

Tell Lonnie that I desire that all her desires be fulfilled.

Tell her to put in her request, and then let it go.

But, above all, truth. Anything less is a weakener.

Later…

Gloria:

Dear Father, what do you wish to tell me tonight?

God:

What makes your heart heavy?

Gloria:

How do I ease Lonnie's aching heart?

God:

This is Lonnie's own creation, and she will deal with it. Be her friend, support her, and try to stay out of it, dear Gloria. You cannot take someone's heartache for them. Stay neutral, will you?