“Children of Light, you know not that the light is in you. Yet you will find it through its witnesses, for having GIVEN light to them they will return it.” – A Course in Miracles Sparkle Edition p. 296

Lately, I’ve been shown multiple instances of the truth of this teaching – that we either find Light through calling forth witnesses for Love or we hide from Light by calling forth witnesses for fear. WE are the ones calling forth these witnesses. WE are responsible for what we see. Nothing that seems to “happen” is an accident because WE have called it forth as a witness for Love or fear.

“Everyone you see in light brings YOUR light closer to your OWN awareness. Love always leads to love.” – A Course in Miracles Sparkle Edition p. 296

And fear always leads to fear. That is, until we give that fear to the Holy Spirit to be used instead as an opportunity for a miracle. The Holy Spirit will use ANYTHING we made to help us wake up… even something initially made for fear.

Several days ago, I had ego angst in my mind. I don’t remember how it began, but it began with getting locked onto some sort of judgmental thought. And with that one choice to keep a judgmental thought, I didn’t see how quickly I slipped downwards into a fearful belief system (AKA the ego). I was feeling notably off, which was much different than how I had been feeling, which had been quiet, serene, and deeply peaceful. The contrast between serenity and angst has helped me see the usefulness of contrast as a teaching aid:

“You will not remember change and shift in Heaven. You have need of contrast only here. Contrast and differences are necessary teaching aids, for by them you learn what to avoid and what to seek” (FIP edition T-13.XI.6)

The contrast in my recent learning situations has also clearly showed me the truth of the Course’s teaching:

“The secret of salvation is but this: That YOU are doing this unto yourself“ (p.643 in the Sparkle Edition).

Because I had made the choice for a belief system of fear and separation (ego), which led to angst in my mind, witnesses then came forward to justify my choice. The important point to remember is that I MADE THIS CHOICE FOR EGO FIRST. And so what came forth next, was what I CALLED FORTH.

With the choice for the ego in my mind, I had to return a food item to a warehouse store. When I realized that my return created excessive food waste, I objected to the cashier and said that I did not want to see perfectly good food thrown away, but was met with the disposal of the food as “store policy.” The cashier also said, “Don’t ever work here if you don’t like to see food wasted!”

I was enraged at this policy and schemed how I might bring media attention to this store’s ridiculous practice of throwing out perfectly good food (especially when there is a food bank less than 2 miles down the road). I thought of all of the people who are hungry and felt even angrier.

But I paused for a moment because I knew something was up. There was stark contrast between weeks of feeling open tranquility vs. sudden fury. I felt moved to wait rather than take action while in anger. And the shift that came forward was profound.

I undeniably sensed that this situation came forward because of my choice for listening to a fearful belief system (ego). My choice to keep a judgmental thought affirmed the belief in separation in my mind. Then a witness showed up “out there” in the world to solidify ideas of separation in my mind (in this specific case the ideas of separation took the form of beliefs about the reality of starvation, wastefulness, and being separate bodies).

A similar instance of learning through contrast happened the exact same way a few months ago, while my husband and I were cooking dinner. Above our stove is a microwave, and underneath the microwave is a ventilation fan that I forgot existed because we have NEVER turned it on the in 10 years that we’ve been in our house. I was feeling off that night with ego angst in my mind, after having felt serenely peaceful for weeks. I had again clung to some sort of judgment about the past or the future. And then a witness showed up “out there” to justify my choice for fear. As we stood at the stove cooking our steamy dinner, out of the blue my husband reached up and pressed the fan button on the microwave that had not been touched in 10 years. WOOSH! The air blew stiffly out of the fan as (imaginary) dust spewed all over our food. I freaked out and snapped at him… “NO!!! That fan is loaded with dust!” My husband simply unconsciously agreed to play the part of a “witness” for the choice I MADE for the ego.

So here is the pattern. I make the choice for the ego, THEN a witness shows up to justify my choice for separation. The purpose of this witness is to strengthen the belief in MY mind that I am a separate self. And so everything that seems to happen “out there” is either a witness for Light or fear, and what we see depends on which teacher we have chosen to listen to (Holy Spirit or ego). This is the meaning of this passage from ACIM:

“I am responsible for what I see.
I choose the feelings I experience, and I decide upon the goal I would achieve.
And everything that seems to happen to me I ask for, and receive as I have asked” (FIP edition T-21.II.2).

The situations described above, although seemingly “negative,” became wonderful witnesses to Light, because they showed me that I am not a passive victim of the world I see. Just as I made a choice to listen to an insane belief system (ego) and have fearful witnesses show up,  I can just as easily choose for Love by turning to the Holy Spirit and have Love’s witnesses show up in my experience. Even when we have already called forth witnesses for fear, shifting the situation to a miracle is easy. Healing only takes an instant, because it is already done.

If you find yourself having fearful witnesses popping up left and right, try following these steps:

First, take a pause, and DESPITE the ego telling you that the person or situation or sickness “out there” is a cause of your pain, quietly say to yourself, “I don’t know how, but I have called this situation forth. I am responsible for what I see, and I am willing to choose again.” (Please note that even your own body is “out there” because the body is not You!)

Second, use this prayer from ACIM, really letting the meaning of the words sink into your being:

“Take this from me and look upon it, judging it for me.
Let me not see it as a sign of sin and death, nor use it for destruction.
Teach me how not to make of it an obstacle to peace, but let You use it for me, to facilitate its  [Peace’s] coming.” (FIP edition T-19.IV.C.11)

This prayer helps us refrain from judging our experience. As we instead give the situation to the Holy Spirit to judge for us, we open ourselves to receiving the loving miracle. Witnesses to Light and Love show up because of our willingness, and a desire to let the Holy Spirit choose for Love FOR us.

Calling forth witnesses to Light is EASY because these witnesses are EVERYWHERE. They are simply waiting for you to see them. ♥