Russ’ Dilemma

JULY 2, 1980, 6:24 AM
W. WILLOW, STUDY

Your experience yesterday with Russ, o son, was an important one. He needs help, and he called on you. No one else can do what you can do now. This is not your area of training or of interest… and I have indicated this is not to be your area of activity… but this is an opportunity you cannot turn down. Yes, it is a place to use the teachings you have had already, and it shall generate some more. You had the basic idea right yesterday… he shared a lot with you, and you shall share a good deal with him.

You knew, as you heard his fragmented story, that his drinking represents a classic case of spiritual “undevelopment”. For much of his life he has been “Russ, the hero” more so than “Russ, the sinning saint.” He has not availed himself of My grace, and therefore he must live with unforgiven guilt… generated from his failure to be the perfect hero.

He also has not accepted well his present role and place in life… decidedly a non-hero. Therefore his craving for the excitement and the nostalgia of the times when he was heroic builds until he must seek it. But sprinkled through the times and events of heroic performance are the mistakes, the cowardices, and the responsibility for death. And so the sweet is also both sour and bitter. The dilemma is that he must revisit and relive those times, which means he must suffer the guilt and remorse.

His drinking parallels and has had an interesting development. As you know, alcohol puts down the mind and its rational controls and frees the spirit to be more dominant than it normally is, particularly for Russ. For him the drinking was not a part or a major part of his times of heroism. So the drinking is not a direct part of the recreation. It is a present means of freeing the spirit, but, alas, the spirit has not developed in order to deal with the exaggerated rhythm that was his life then. Now, also, he has become addicted to alcohol, and he cannot limit himself to the small amounts that will light the lamps and illuminate the past.

Know that I value, for my human servants, the experience of remembering. Jews remember the Passover, the flight from Egypt, the pillar and the cloud and the manna… the Commandments, but also the golden calf and other times of sin and disobedience. Christians remember this as heritage and then focus on My life as Jesus, what I did and what I said… so long ago by earth measures. You remember My trial, My crucifixion, and My burial but, finally My resurrection and ascension. I want you to remember it all. And so what Russ does is in My established tradition.

Your opportunity is to help turn Russ’ dilemma into a more positive, remembering experience. It just must be done without alcohol, for its value is quickly overshadowed by its detrimental effect on his holistic being. The major challenge will be the slow development of his spirit, which you can only guide in very uncertain ways. Still, do not doubt the truth of what I have given you, nor the capacity of your own spirit to show direction.

The basic technique will be that of telling stories… and he is better at that than you are. Don’t “lay anything on him”. Just tell what has happened to you. Listen to him, and know that he has as much to teach you as you have to teach him. I often can use suffering people to teach important lessons to those who would, from strength, help them. I value weakness as I do strength. I had times of weakness as Jesus. Yet My Spirit grew and My disciples and others profited from these times.

I call on you to exercise an area of your weakness. Know that it is a service to Me, by way of Russ. My Grace I offer to you, and you do accept. Give Me your failures and disappointments… and also your times of success and triumph. Out of this giving shall come new capacities to be… and so can it be with Russ.

I shall guide you further.

Amen, certainly
7:26 AM