Miracle #38 - All Minds Are Joined

Photo Credit: Elijah O'Donnell

 About two years ago my husband developed a habit of watching the news after he climbed into bed. It was always BAD news, and the commentators arguing with one another annoyed me to no end. 


I would be in the bathroom getting ready for bed, listening to the sounds coming from the bedroom, and getting tense. My thoughts went like this:

  • Why does he have to listen to that crap?

  • Why won't he change the channel?

  • Why doesn't he choose something I like?

It is never productive to ask "why" in these situations. 

I decided to employ the lessons of A Course in Miracles and changed my mind about the situation. 

I tried tuning the sound of the news out.

I tried telling myself that it didn't matter.

I still felt annoyed.

Then, I decided to consciously focus on my love and appreciation for my husband, instead.

I thought about how he had worked hard all day, commuted for two and a half hours, and ought to be able to relax however he pleased before bedtime. 

A strange thing happened after a few days of this - he switched the channel and began watching Westerns every night! 

Wow, I thought! That's an improvement. 

But after about a week of listening to cowboys shooting and killing each other in the other room, I found myself getting aggravated again. 

I continued my gratitude practice, focusing all of my attention on my own thoughts and feelings, determined to repeat my lesson - God's will for me is perfect happiness - and not get distracted. 

Another strange thing happened - my husband switched to the SoundScapes music channel! 

I swear, I never said a word to him.....

He has not stopped listening to relaxing music before bedtime since then. 

And I have not stopped believing in miracles. 

Thank You, Holy Spirit

Therefore, seek not to change the world, but choose to change your mind about the world. - ACIM Text, Chapter 21

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Miracle #21 - God's Will For Me Is Perfect Happiness

Image
  I took my dog, Ziggy, to the veterinarian yesterday for a check-up. As soon as we pulled into the office parking lot, she began to tremble and shake. She remembers the vet's office as a scary and painful place, where she has had shots and operations. We were a little early, so I decided to walk her around outside a bit. Ziggy strained against the leash and tried to run away. In her anxiety and fear of the future, she was seeking escape. The funny thing was,  I knew  that nothing bad was going to happen to her.  I knew  that the doctor was going to to help and not hurt her. As an observer apart from the problem, it was clear to me that everything was going to be okay, and Ziggy was cared for and loved.  As I watched this scene play out in front of me, I thought about how we, as humans, behave the same way in our lives. We believe that we know what will happen in the future based on past experiences. We think that if we worry or feel anxious or find a way t...
Read more

Miracle #26 - I Am Sustained By The Love Of God

Image
  I recently began working at a local farm one day a week. My daughter works there and I ride in with her. Our boss had been assigning us to work together, so that she could show me how to do things. However, last week she had a morning dental appointment, so she just dropped me off at 8:30 am. I expected her to come back to work right after her appointment, and I left my lunch box in her car.  When she reported for duty, she was assigned to work at a different location. Not only was I missing my lunch, but my bottled water and my phone charger. I was dropped off in a field in the middle of nowhere, with instructions for using the tractor to plant sorghum seed, and left alone! I started work, hoping that I would finish soon and could call for pick-up. After a few hours I looked at my cell phone and realized that my battery was extremely low. I sent my daughter a quick text message letting her know my location, and then my phone died! There I was, with no way to contact an...
Read more

Miracle #36 - Trust Would Settle Every Problem Now

Image
  Photo Credit: vanveenjf This week the Holy Spirit blessed me in spades. The funny thing is, it didn't start out looking like a blessing. In fact, the ego wanted me to think it was a curse - but I wasn't fooled!  My husband and I had traveled to the Washington DC area from Houston, Texas. We were scheduled to return home on the same plane, although he had purchased a ticket and I was flying standby.  When we got to the airport we saw that the flight was full and it was unlikely that I would get on. I started searching for alternatives, and saw that ALL of the flights from DC to Houston were full that day.  I tried to solve the problem by looking up other cities into which I might fly - any place where I had a friend or relative that could put me up for the night. All of those flights were full too!  My husband got on his plane without me and I started to feel desperate.  I asked the Holy Spirit for help. To guide me. To give me peace. To show me the w...
Read more