When Your Body Reacts…

THURS., SEPT. 21, 1989, 4:50 AM
FARM, STUDY

Your body is reacting in a very uncomfortable way to… something. You are here listening to Me, partly on the premise that your unfaithfulness to this educational opportunity could be a cause. Although this is not the highest of motivations, I welcome you, just the same. I shall not tell you what the cause is, nor will I tell you to try certain ways to relief… or just “tough it out.” What I will recommend is to treat it as if it were a spiritual challenge and give more attention to your spirit-related tasks.

You must give some attention each day to your next Ruminations. You have been faithful in completing this as regularly as I would have you, and there is no good reason why you shouldn’t have this one completed on schedule. You know this, but you are not using your time well.

You have had few experiences in which your body has reacted so uncomfortably or painfully. You know you are fortunate, for it is not uncommon for humans to experience some kind of physical discomfort as a part of life. One of the body’s protections, which We “built-in,” is this tendency to react in some uncomfortable way to some threat or potential threat. The body’s reaction is not perfect, so you can never know, in every instance, whether the alarm is one that should be heeded or just a false one.

These experiences of itching, which have been with you intermittently through the summer are clearly your body’s reaction to… something. It doesn’t seem to be a medical emergency, but this is still a possibility you have to consider if it does not abate. You may use your reason, judgment, and intuition in assigning courses of action… or, as I said earlier, you may just continue in discomfort and await its natural demise. I don’t have any direct recommendation… and you hoped that I would have.

My general counsel is that in any time of bodily discomfort resist the temptation to focus on your body, leaving the spirit fallow. Instead, let the body’s reaction be a stimulus to turn to spiritual matters and tasks. Just as I once got your attention, from time to time, with fearful thoughts, I encourage you to respond to this body reactions as if I were calling you. It matters not, really, whether it is a “true call.” Just know that I am ever ready to lead you in spiritual ways, so I am pleased, even when you misinterpret a “sign.”

I realize that it is not easy to categorize tasks as “spiritual” or “non-spiritual.” Obviously this is a spiritual opportunity, this receiving of a Teaching. Likewise, writing, printing, and sending out a Ruminations letter is a spiritual task. Then there are the letters, and they do pile up on you, I realize. Yet each of these is a spiritual opportunity, much more important than crossword puzzles and television programs… even some of the reading you do. I shall not relent in My push to have you exercise your spirit in this way.

Lower level priorities, but still in what I class as the spiritual realm, are the finishing of your sabbatical paper and the reporting of your perspectives research. As you envision the months ahead you know your time will be increasingly taken by less spiritual matters. So priorities must be set and achieved. All of this could make your body itch even more!

So, yes, I am suggesting that you give this discomfort as little attention as possible. Try to accept it as a reminder of spiritual tasks. Increasingly see these as the true focus of life activity. And see the interrelationship: some of your teaching is not in the spiritual camp, but the teaching of any class offers the opportunity for you to invite them out here and give them, and you, a good spiritual experience. Your conventions loom ahead, and most of the sessions will not be as important as conversations with certain people. Remember this as you decide how to use time.