2013-11-21-Personality
Lightline #419
Contents
• 1 Heading
o 1.1 Topic: Personality
o 1.2 Group: Lightline TeaM
• 2 Facilitators
o 2.1 Teacher: Michael
o 2.2 TR: JL
• 3 Session
o 3.1 Opening
o 3.2 Lesson
o 3.3 Closing
Topic: Personality
Group: Lightline TeaM
Facilitators
Teacher: Michael
TR: JL
Session
Opening
PRAYER: Dear Michael and Mother Spirit, come be with us. Join our happy group who’ve gathered here electronically/telephonically to listen to your lesson and engage you in conversation. Once again we will accept what you and Mother Spirit have so often taught us–perhaps initially on faith but then later on as we came into genuine contact with you inside ourselves and we get those wonderful, clear thoughts every now and then–those things that come right out of the blue: we just know within ourselves and between us that they were something you contributed to the situation.
Also we have the assurance from time to time too that our Father–our Universal Father that we share between us–that he too has a presence within us. He too can give us those startling clear and comprehensive ideas from time to time that just so totally encapsulate and clarify a situation.
So we do appreciate your presence within us, and we hope too, on these occasions we have a chance to hear you, and you actually carry on a conversation with us; we hope to give you all the respect and love and admiration we are capable of. We thank you for being a part of our lives. Amen.
Lesson
MICHAEL: Good evening, this is Michael, and as always and forever–actually, on and on and on forever, my dear ones–Mother Spirit and I will be with you. This is true even in the time after we send you off out into the galaxy, for even then we will appreciate any time you care to send a message back to us. You’ll be well versed and tied in to Universal Reflectivity long before that; as a matter of fact, once you leave this poor benighted planet of yours that is just now getting re-established in the universe circuits. But we’ll always be in communication, even as now. This contact is up to you. This is part of your dignity as a will creature. It’s what you yourselves care to initiate right out of yourselves.
This is what I would like to address this evening–that we delight so often in introducing you to yourselves and all that you are. You can make a little mental checklist and from time to time, in your mediations and your prayers, be aware of and appreciate the kinds of personal beings that you are, because your human design predates even Mother Spirit and me. In one way we are following an eternal pattern of what a human being is all about. In addition, so much of this essence you do share with all other orders of personal beings.
This is your essence, your personality. We’ve referred you so many times to that chapter in your Urantia Book that’s called “Personality Survival” because it gives you such a comprehensive feeling and understanding of what you are; not only who you are but what you are. Yet even that chapter is led off with stating there’s just no way of perfectly and totally comprehensively defining what personality is.
So even for us, yet especially for you, there’s no way you can literally pick yourself up by your bootstraps or get a completely full grasp of yourself—except–as you experience yourself moment to moment. For you are an experiential being: you are designed to experience. In this sense you fulfill God’s own purpose and delight, that part of God called the Supreme Being, the Over-Soul if you will, the perfect memory of everything you’ve done. You are adding, in your experience, you are adding to this. Your personality’s experience is adding to this great Over-Soul of all creation. It’s your purpose too, if you will.
Then you are endowed/given a creative spirit by which you co-create this experience of yours of all that you are, including this whole universe surrounding you that you interpret. You co-create everything as you experience it. It usually marks a huge enlightenment experience for most of you when you suddenly realize, to such a full degree that it changes your whole life, that you are responsible for all that you experience, even that which comes upon you unexpectedly, or even unavoidably.
For yes, you are in the middle of an enormous universe that has its own way of going about things. You are subject to what you call Natural Law, all the chemistry and physics involved in the kind of life you live. Things do happen which are totally beyond your ability to either create or avoid. This too is part of being a human being on a planet such as yours.
When people asked about thousands of folks being wiped out by a tsunami, we assured them that this was not in any way because these others deserve to be so extinguished. That was just part of being a small, relatively helpless human being on a gigantic planet. That also includes all the other folks all around you that involve you in things willy-nilly at times. Still and all!—it’s how you experience all of this, yourself and all these others, for you are a co-creative being. You are a part of all of this, especially, shall we say, in how you take it. Life is not only how things instantaneously affect you, but then what you do with them, even those things which are beyond your control.
This is your creative spirit, and it’s part of you. It’s part of every moment of your life. You are constantly co-creating what’s happening to you. This is especially true with this living vehicle that you are so closely associated with. We like to tease you with the notion that all you have to do is wiggle your fingers or your toes to realize just how intimate is this association of your personality with this living vehicle. It’s how your co-creativity–your creative spirit–interprets this body and mind of yours.
This is especially true in terms of your mind, this ability you have with all of its dozens and dozens of dimensions that Mother Spirit actually augments and helps you along with, gives you a little boost. She too is in your basic perceptions and the way you associate these in understanding, the way you can accumulate experiences as knowledge.
Her Holy Spirit is part of your courage and your ability to relate with others, your wisdom and your sense of worship and appreciation for being alive. All of these functions of mind are co-created by you moment to moment, including how you perceive and feel and understand your own physical body. You are part of your own co-creativity.
Tonight I wish to emphasize that your physical nature—as you experience yourselves–is partly spirit. Spirit is that dimension of reality, especially your human reality, that is all-inclusive. That is what the word spirit means: everything–ultimately, existentially, supremely, and infinitely–because God is spirit. God is the creative totality that experiences all personal beings, the Supreme spiritual being who experiences everything beyond any kind of duality you can conceive of or experience yourselves. This is where it all begins, constantly. This is the First Source and Center of reality. And God shares not only what it is to be a personal being, but what it is to be a creative spiritual being; he shares this too with you.
Yet, my dear ones, when you hear that word “spirit,” so many folks think of it as something very nebulous, very un-physical and contrasted, you might say, to the material aspect of reality. But keep in mind that spirit is what originally created this very separation between personal and impersonal reality. All this stuff–you might say–that makes up the universe, all this impersonal reality all around you, all this energy and matter: spirit created that originally and, in your case, in your humanly personal case, your creative spirit is how you perceive and how you take care of this part of you.
This is what spirit is. This is what constitutes you a spiritual being–that you have this potential, however much you use it, or fail to use it, in being comprehensive and inclusive of all of you. For there are folks whom some might say are overly spiritual; while there is, of course, no such thing in reality. This simply refers to folks who are disdainful of some part of their being, perhaps their mental or their physical being, their minds or their bodies. This is what is meant by being overly spiritual. It’s actually a misnomer.
It’s better think of this as a failure of spirit, of their own creative spirit to give due respect to, and awareness of, all of them–of all of you. This is why in your only so-called more advanced societies and cultures, Mother Spirit and I feel so much distress over the ill-health you are suffering, you could say in one way, needlessly. Yet of course, in an existential sense, there is no such thing as needlessly or unnecessarily.
Existentially there is a reason for everything happening. Rather, we see this ill-health results from a kind of disdain, a kind of arrogance, or sometimes just a lack of knowledge and understanding. Tragically, so many folks were raised by parents who themselves had such an arrogance and disdain, or pure laziness, with respect to their physical being.
This is what really sorrows Mother Spirit and me because so much of your illness, so much of your mental difficulties, so much of your physical suffering–or just sheer limitations–are within the range of your will power, if you could only exercise it. This disdain, this disregard for your physical health is so tragic because, given the will power, given the knowledge and the understanding of how this wonderful physical body that you have does respond to simple things like good nutrition and exercise; all could live greatly expanded lives.
Just good exercise and good nutrition would take care of perhaps over half of all the suffering that people go through, not needlessly because there is a reason for all of this, but it is well within their ability–if they had the will power–simply to choose to live a better life physically and, relatedly, mentally.
We know you are caught up in a great national discourse now about Health Care, which actually is referring more to health insurance that you use as a backup for when things happen to you, either through your own way of living or purely unavoidable accidents. But genuine health care–people caring for their own and for their children’s health–is another thing.
By far, sixty, seventy, sometimes eighty percent of all the bad things happening to people in terms of bad health, tragic things with their bodies and their minds, are avoidable. People have the excuse that they already know what is a better diet of good, fresh fruit and vegetables, rather than endlessly overly-prepared canned goods and so-called “junk food”—but that the good stuff is too expensive. Well it’s not!–not even slightly compared to what your bad health costs you.
And so tonight I just ask you–Mother Spirit and I ask you–to think about this in the national discourse you’re having on health. Keep in mind that it’s up to each individual to do the best thing, something in terms of nutrition and exercise–enough of the right kind of exercise that your bodies thrive on. We ask you to keep this in mind and encourage each other to live better this way, because not all the money in the world can save you otherwise.
It’s the difference between, shall we say, putting on a little sun screen before you go out in the sun, or applying a lot of sunburn medicine later. Above all, it’s having respect and appreciation for these gifts that God, and Mother Spirit and I, give you, these living bodies of yours that are so easily maintained with love and respect for yourselves and each other.
This part of you, this God-given part of you is so responsive because it’s had not only a few million years of evolution on this planet–this pattern of yours–this patterned being that you are. Your very human being is a universal thing throughout the cosmos on all the myriad planets of nativity.
True enough, your personality will survive. You will go on. But it always will be part of your creative spirit to choose to appreciate all that you are, and give it its proper respect as God’s gift.
So: here is more health to you!–my dear ones. This is your response-ability, your ability to respond to what your own body and mind are telling you, asking you, even pleading with you for some loving care. Now let me open this particular session to your questions and answers.
STUDENT: Well, I will have a go at it. Thank you, Michael, for the opportunity to engage with you on this topic. I heard every word you said because I’m putting up with a serious disease which has curtailed my actions terribly. And it was primarily through my own willfulness. So I just want to say: I heard you. I do accept responsibility for it and I’m frankly looking forward to the next plane when I can be done with this physical aspect and move on to a more dynamic service.
It’s not like I haven’t been of service in this life. I haven’t always been so severely impacted. But I was young and healthy once, to the point where I didn’t give my health a second thought. I had amazing recuperative powers and, like most young people, I thought I’d live forever. But such is not the case, not the body, anyway. Thank God, I believe I will.
That gets me on to the question I really wanted to talk to you about, and that is: you know we live in this finite world that has a paradigm, and I imagine each society, each culture has its own. But the one I’m in, I’ve had two marriages now and I’ve benefitted greatly from the association with both my husbands–different but similar in regard to this in particular.
In my association with them, I found that I became…I don’t want to say I became someone else but…I can’t think of the terminology I want to use. I know there’s a bunch of literature out on it that may or may not address the subject. What I want to know is: when I get to the Mansion Worlds, I know they don’t have marriage there. Am I going to find myself in another situation where I lose myself in association with others? I don’t mean to say that selfishly, because when we do serve others we do so selflessly. That’s not what I’m talking about; and I’m not sure I’m even conveying what I’m trying to say.
But marriage is an institution, and I feel like I’ve become a part of the institution. It’s a good thing, and it works. It involves the maintenance of civilization, and tremendous creature comforts and emotional securities, all kinds of good things. But what about on high? Am I still going to…can I still appreciate chivalry? In the next life there will not be this childbearing thing, so I won’t be in the paradigm of what’s expected of woman as it is here in terms of being a wife, and a mother, and a homemaker, and a helpmate.
I’m just trying to see what tomorrow will bring. I suppose you’ll tell me: just wait until I get there, and enjoy it, because it will be wonderful. But I couldn’t help but set that forth. The question had come to me, and I was given the opportunity to ask about it.
Michael, laughing: Well, yes, my dear, I was kind-of chuckling because in one way–I’m sure you’re aware of this–every time we express ourselves, we do so on what Mother Spirit and I have taught are different levels of generality, or specificity.
And so every time you think of a word like marriage, or the institution, remind yourself that this is so different for so many folks–almost unique–all around the world too in all the different cultures and different religions, the different nationalities and so forth. That word has such a totally different meaning for so many folks.
All throughout your questions I had the feeling of emphasizing over and over again the total mystery of personality to any subordinate being of God’s. It’s even a mystery to Mother Spirit and I. It’s something we acknowledge that cannot be comprehensively detailed, or expressed even, in any kind of language. And so your life here is such a mystery in this sense.
You’ve been married twice with your two different husbands so the mystery of their personalities–the fact that they are unique beings, and you are a unique being–perhaps you have noticed this–either way, you are a slightly different person with every other person you are engaged with. That’s because you have two unique beings interrelating.
What you can see in each other; and then what you can experience through each other, what the other person can bring out in you; what you can share with another person: all of this, when you think about it, you know, this is different for every person you meet.
Student: Yes.
MICHAEL: A lot of people can get caught up in actually feeling—Wow!– first of all: who am I! Or: what am I! Am I even being honest if I’m a different person with every different person I’m with? Is that being honest? Am I being true to myself? Am I being true to them? Yet over and over again Mother Spirit and I point out this deep mystery of personality because each is unique. You have a bunch of unique beings interrelating with each other, and this doesn’t change. This is one thing that does not change throughout eternity because this is just the nature of personality.
What I talked on this evening, the fact is that for each personality of every order, from me all the way up through to Paradise–whether you’re a Melchizedek or whatever kind of being you are, an angel perhaps: this holds true. This is the essential nature of personality, this uniqueness of being. Sometimes you can be with, or know about someone where this stands out so much you can hardly feel—and some people even call it into question–if someone is a very evil person, have they lost all their humanity!
But this just shows the extent to which human personality can express itself, from the most self-centered evil kind of person who’s willing to do almost anything conceivable to another person, for their own gratification, to the exact opposite when you consider a saint, someone who spends their entire life giving themselves over to others, to take care of and help them. This whole spectrum of how personality finds itself in expression? This will not change but for the better. This is what you’re “in for” in a way—the uniqueness of each; yet this is the glory too you can look forward to.
Student: That’s good.
MICHAEL: : It’s just that on the other side you will be rubbing elbows with not only your own planetary survivors, but those from six hundred and some other planets–that you will, within a short period of time, be mingling with–as much and as fast over there, as here. It’s in the same way: as fast as you can take this. As fast as you are able to adapt to, and respond to, more and more variety of human beings, you will be accorded the possibility. But it will always come down to this mystery of personality, of the uniqueness of each personal being that, again, is the greatest tribute to, and the expression of, God’s creativity.
Student: Truly.
MICHAEL: : So as I say, you’re equally “in for it,” and provided the opportunity to glory in it.
Student: All right then. I can dig it.
MICHAEL: : Well: be in my peace.
Student: Thank you.
MICHAEL: : My dear ones, are there any more questions or comments this evening? (no answer)
As Mother Spirit and I have said so many times before, there’s no real need for any back-and-forth. You have this wonderful thing of just tuning in and being open, being open to whatever occurs to you. It’s one of the best kinds of meditation, just practicing being open to whatever this world, and whatever your own mind presents to you. I
t’s when you can realize–make real for yourselves–the uniqueness of yourself, yet not feel distraught in any way that there is so much of you that is inexpressible, simply because you do have eternity right in front of you. There is all of eternity to fill with this marvelous being that you are, because you are one of God’s creations. And yet there is all this that you cannot even begin to express to another–because they too are so unique.
Always remember: you have God within you with whom you share all of you. And then, as you realize this, and you can see this in others, you can realize that everybody you meet also has this infinite, infinite dimension to them too. This is what helps with your respect and your loving caring for each other. You can acknowledge and feel comfortable with the fact that you don’t need to pin them down.
You don’t need to ultimately comprehend them, even. You can give others the greatest gift of letting them be. Let them be themselves in your company. As I expressed to our dear sister, there’s no limit to this, especially in time and eternity. This is what you will always be confronted with, and have as the most precious gift God can give you–these other unique beings all around you to discover, to enjoy, to share.
Closing
So if there are no other questions or comments this evening, let me say what a delight it is to acknowledge each one of you, and be part of you. This is part of my being a Creator Son of God, that I can share so much with all of my children, and know and experience so many lives. This what you too have to look forward to, all the friends you will meet and can keep as long as the two of you are mutually desirable of it.
There need be no end of relating to these mysterious beings all around you, your dear friends and acquaintances. What a gift God gives us. And so we thank you, Father. We do worship you in the sense of our pure appreciation for us–for what we are, and what we get to share. So: good evening, my dear ones. Mother Spirit sends her love, and I bid you: Be in my peace. Good evening.
