More than a random configuration of molecules

“There is a place in you where you have never been wounded, where there’s still a sureness, where there’s a seamlessness, and where there is a confidence and tranquility. And I think the intention of prayer and spirituality and love is now and again to visit that inner kind of sanctuary.”—John O’Donohue

So I got this comment yesterday. It started by thanking me for clarifying the lessons in A Course in Miracles, a blogging pursuit I started January 1. But it went on:

“I cannot wait to hear what you say about lesson #128, because even in my 4th year (of doing the Course in Miracles), I don’t get this one.”

Being a long-time Course student who is still puzzled by many of the lessons, I couldn’t wait to find out which one she was talking about. I actually leafed ahead. And here’s what I have to say about ACIM Lesson 128:

First of all, I glommed on to the part towards the end about asking for help, about being still and resting (always a worthwhile goal) and opening my mind to my Guide. That’s what I call the Holy S.

And then, I broke it down. The world I see holds nothing I want. The operative words are the world I SEE. Because the world I SEE is just my version of a bunch of random molecules. I’m not really Pam. Pam dies. Pam is just a made-up story, a fairytale.

My brain (like all human brains) takes in sounds and light and crafts a story that matches my beliefs and expectations. It’s not real.

Perhaps magician Derek DelGaudio said it best. In 2016, after winning Magician of the Year, he was asked how he first got interested in magic. His interviewer wanted to know if he’d seen a particular magician or a particular trick or a….

He stopped the interviewer and said, “It was never anything I saw. My imagination was captured with what I couldn’t see.”

And there you have it. The juice is what we can’t see. When we strip away the labels, the boxes, the random configuration of molecules, we find our essence.

We find the world we DO want. We find the intoxicating, invigorating, ecstasy of who we really are.

Pam Grout is the author of 19 books including E-Squared, E-Cubed, Thank & Grow Rich and her new book, Art & Soul,Reloaded: A Year-Long Apprenticeship to Summon the Muses and Ignite Your Daring, Audacious, Creative Side.