Adaptability And The Spirit

SEPT. 9, 1980, 5:29 AM
W. WILLOW, STUDY

Welcome, o son… back from your other concerns. It is clear, even now, that these are far from behind you, and that you are not yet embarked on this study of Ours. The compromise needs to be that each day you must do something in relation to the spirit. You are recognizing the value of conversations, but you are not following through with the note-taking that shall make these available to you later. This month must be a compromise, but each day must include some spiritual considerations.

Now let us talk of the relationship between one of your good “definitions” of health – adaptability – and the spirit. First, if the spirit is healthy it is adaptable. I, the Spirit, am ultimately healthy and therefore ultimately adaptable. You know that there are certain events and conditions that are predestined. This is a part of My Direction here in the earth. Still, there is much that is not directly determined by Me, and therefore to have My Will prevail I must be almost infinitely adaptable.

One of the goals of healthy adaptation is to see that even though events turn out differently than you would ideally want you have the capacity to make the results worthwhile to your purposes. With reference to the first part of this teaching: you must be concerned now with the development of your class for this weekend. If your spirit is adaptable you will work in some happenings that can give you help for your study – a role play, a writing, reactions to songs… . The spirit pervades and is in all. Just recognize this and take advantage of it. (It is important that you get your notebooks and cards organized, at least minimally, so that you don’t forget these things that happen.)

Fundamentally, the spiritual dimension is your loving concern for others rather than self. Since each “other” is functioning with some amount of freedom, the actions of others are far from predictable. Therefore the spirit must needs be adaptable to feel concern, no matter what the behavior of others. Matthew is your best example at present. His moods, behaviors, and situations of being change interminably. You prime yourself to react to him or interact with him in some way, and then he is different than you expected. Your spirit must adapt in order for you to love him, actually, in these many states of being. (Note that the mind suggests an easy solution: just love him no matter what. This has to be passive and without much warmth. Your spirit knows that in order to truly love him and be concerned for him you must do it concretely… as he is at any time… and not in the abstract… “he’s my son, no matter what.” The spirit knows.)