Ill-Health

THURSDAY, JULY 23, 1981, 5:20 AM
FARM, STUDY

You finally have identified a theme, o son, and you are a bit surprised that it sounds negative, but the contrast between bliss and joy has been dancing around in your mind, so let Me present you another lesson in rhythm. This shall be another encouragement to think “My Way” rather than the Western way you have learned. Oh, I certainly can come into the hearts and spirits of those who think entirely in Western terms, and many accept Me and My ways without changing their other thinking fundamentally. I am sometimes amazed at this mind-straddling. You shall have to do some, however, since I want you to be… and continue to be… an acclaimed member of your profession. However, I want you to be aware of what you are doing and appreciate My true way.

Ill-health will be the way of illustration this morning… which certainly relates to the teachings in relation to pain and to your leg… as well as to your class discussion yesterday on quality of life. (You certainly are not listening attentively this morning. It is a good lesson. Get with it!) The basic premise is that whatever the situation there am I in the midst of it. The supreme experience is relationship with Me, and that can come just as well in ill-health as in positive health… but, in the converse, not necessarily more in ill-health than in good.

All forms of ill-health are challenges to the spirit… tests of the spirit’s resiliency and adaptability. I have told you that the earth experience is one in which much spiritual growth can take place because the reality of risk and failure seems obvious. There is ill-health… cancer, stroke, infections, mental depression, paralysis, nerve damage… Certainly pages could be filled with the departures from full functioning of which the earth is characteristic. Each of these, however, in My perception of Reality, has a single, common purpose – to bring about growth of spirit and be a means to an awareness and appreciation of Me and My Ways. It is unique among all realms of being in this respect.

Some forms of ill-health may be chosen by an entity to experience, as a planned exercise in spirit. Others are just accidental… just happen as a result of those hazards that are in the earth scene… including other forms of life. Obviously, if you have chosen to experience some form of ill-health continuously or have purposefully inhabited a body with certain weaknesses, so that ill-health of some sort is inevitable at some time in life, then the challenge is a planned one, and it often is crucial that the spirit recognize and respond to the opportunity for growth in the way expected.