2008-10-13-Perspective in Progress
Woods Cross #646
Contents
• 1 Heading
o 1.1 Topic: Perspective in Progress
o 1.2 Group: Woods Cross TeaM
• 2 Facilitators
o 2.1 Teacher: Abraham, Mary
o 2.2 TR: Nina
• 3 Session
o 3.1 Opening
o 3.2 Lesson
o 3.3 Closing
Topic: Perspective in Progress
Group: Woods Cross TeaM
Facilitators
Teacher: Abraham, Mary
TR: Nina
Session
Opening
ABRAHAM: I am ABRAHAM. Greetings. I am grateful for our shared opportunities. We are at a significant point in history where we will be an integral part of a mass correction. It is said that many times experience must be really negative to gain something positive from it. I believe it is all a matter of perspective. Two mortals may have a similar experience and one may be uplifted and encouraged, while the other may be the opposite. You each know this experience and varying strengths of endurance, spiritual and otherwise. The whole point of knowing the mortal life is to learn and gather tools to move forward in your spiritual career.
MARY: I am MARY and honored to be with you again. I am inspired by your discussion on the topic of flexibility. I know that each of you have very different experiences. No one ever expects you to fit into a mold. Know that your diversity is welcomed and you have an eternity to learn what you will.
Lesson
MARY: I can appreciate the lesson of perspective as Abraham mentioned earlier. I was one who was self-protected and prepared for the worst that was possible in any given situation. I would always seek to protect my feelings, myself, my ego. I felt that the continuous disappointment was inevitable and I failed to the see the possible lesson therein. I was so fortunate to have trained with Jesus.
His lessons were always appealing and yet could not always hold my attention. However, His kindness to every individual always spoke the loudest. He lived exactly what He taught. He was exactly who He said He would be. To mortals of that day and age, that was somewhat surprising because, as I mentioned earlier, we all had that self-protection or varying perspective. Of course, that was and is an outworking of the ego and simply an opportunity to learn and advance or to gather tools. I think of two of the Master’s apostles when I think on the lesson of perspective and how different these two men were. Simon-Peter, a headstrong but good-hearted man who had always hoped for the best, found his mortal experience to be like a roller coaster, but always found himself in an advancing mode. He had a great love for the Master and the ministry, more so than his own standing or status.
Simon-Peter saw the very best that man had to offer in the personage of Jesus. He already knew the worst, but having known the best touched Peter on a soul level and His love for the Master was ever-growing. His love was what made him able to learn life’s hard lessons. Peter may not have understood all of the Master’s teachings, but he had true abiding loyalty and love for the Master. Love is so much more than an emotion. It is commonly defined incorrectly in this day and age. We can learn more about that later. We know for certain that love alters your perspective of life’s meaning.
Another individual whose perspective was at the opposite of Simon-Peter was Judas. He saw the world as a bad place and mostly because his own thoughts were bad, his attitude negative. He had love for the Master in the beginning, but his hopes were for the increase of ego-wellness and how he may appear to be superior. He saw the Master’s goodness as fake or a ploy to get things done. His love for the Master and the ministry did not exceed his love for himself. He was evil within and saw evil as a reality. His perspective was negative because that was what he truly felt inside. His faith wavered and he never gave it a chance to strengthen through stillness or humility.
Judas’ experiences of everyday circumstances were seemingly unfair to him because he was unfair to others. Why would others not treat him as he would treat them? Had he taken a moment to truly feel the Master’s love and know that all the best was wanted for him–his soul, then Judas could have changed everything. He could have seen the beauty in life. It would have become a reality to him. His perspective would have fostered goodness and increased his capacity to receive.
I know firsthand this struggle, believe me. I find that when I focus too much on myself, then does my attitude change to incorporating the worst that life has to offer. It is better to busy yourself with some positive activity than to dwell on how unjust life is for you. It is a trap really; a spiritual trap one imposes upon themselves and allows the ego to overwhelm the spirit. When our friendship with God is tended to, then are we more likely to feel His love and have that be our reality. A healthy level of spiritual wellness makes all the difference in your perspective.
Closing
MARY: We have to end there but will resume again next time. I am always excited with anticipation to see how you will use the week’s lesson to your advantage and spiritual growth. Our love goes with you. Until next time, shalom.
