2004-03-18-More On Trust

Session

Opening

Opening prayer (Ken A.) Dear Parents, we come before You this evening with love in our hearts. We ask for your presence this evening. We accept Your love. May we have the ears to hear, and the voice to speak. May we join with you in thought, in word, and in action? We gather in your name. Amen.

Daniel Greetings friends, I am Daniel, greatly pleased to be with you this spring afternoon in your world. Marlene, it is my pleasure to welcome you to this extended family group. (Thank you, it is an honor to be here.) It is our privilege.

Friends, this spring day provides an opportunity to engage in a review of principle, you know well, and yet, a refresher course is often beneficial. Spring is one season in the cycle of seasons, following winter that follows fall that follows summer that follows spring.

Lesson

This cycle of seasons, in parts of Urantia, that has this style of season, is known to you, is understood, is natural. Yet, sometimes encased in the cold of winter, with the frigid temperatures, a seemingly endless snow, the knowledge that spring will come can be difficult to internalize. Now there are those who, of course, love winter, love the challenge provided by the cold and snow, love the opportunity for recreation, and the range of experiences that cannot be had in other seasons. And these stalwart individuals can be likened to those who enjoy a spiritual challenge; who eat-it-up and ask for more. But there are others of you who find the other seasons easier to deal with, prefer the spring and the fall, that a! re mild and temperate, and so, being encased in snow, battling the elements, can be difficult and these people can long for the spring. In your lives, the challenges of material living, with its certain change, its losses, its partings through death, can feel like this type of winter. And when you are experiencing loss, experiencing grief, experiencing struggles with health, it can be hard to trust that spring will come, that flowers will bud, that joy will fountain, that peace will reign supreme.

Tonight’s lesson is, again, about trust. The lesson is to remind you that the resurrection followed Jesus’ death; to remind you that Michael, too, has experienced times of struggle, in the material unpleasantness. And, yet, His supreme trust in His Father provided the balm, the life-line, to support Him in His human existence.

Because we will not be meeting next week, I have taken this opportunity to bring together the concept of renewal promised by the inevitability of spring, following winter, in the promise that Michael shared with humanity and His universe, by living a life dedicated to portraying the beauty to be found in living the Father’s will, day by day.

The spiritual principles to which I referred to earlier, you well know. Take that time daily to fill your spiritual reservoirs that you may trust the coming of spring and the promise of eternity.

(Pause)

I apologize for the lengthy pause. PamElla is experiencing difficulty in the connection. I wish to open the floor to discussion, questions, and a reformulation of the obvious.

Dialogue

Virginia Daniel, I’m not sure I understand what you want us to reformulate, your lesson, or what. I’m not just sure.

Daniel The reformulation of the obvious, yes, would refer to my lesson, which is old, but is not intended to be tired. My intention in the choice of topic this evening was to provide encouragement to a somewhat emotionally weary, and physically tired crew. Unfortunately, my delivery is not as easy and as light as I had intended it to be. The connection was strained.

Bob D. The topic tonight brought to my mind a song called "The Rose", and I was thinking about the opening line where it talks about what love is; just the idea of the transition of seasons, and recognizing that each one leads to something else. There is no real death, but a continued cycle of rebirth and re-growth. I don’t know what I’m thinking! These are just kind of feelings that were flowing though me as the lesson was coming through. I was pondering some of these thoughts. I thought I would share that.

Daniel Thank you, Simeon. Yes, that was the intent of the lesson, to link the current beautiful spring day, with the promise of emotional relief. However, as with all material things, this too shall pass. There is the continuity of the cycle, and yet, it is not limited to repetition with no greater purpose, with no evolution. The cycle is in fact a spiral. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

Bob D. And, as far as an emotional weary crew, I guess I have been a little bit under the weather today, in general. I’ve had a friend of mine, actually a fairly good friend that I communicate with regularly, kind of called me on the table because they didn’t like some of the things I’ve been doing. I found whenever I get questioned by somebody, if it is somebody I don’t know, it doesn’t bother me as much, but when it is someone I do know, it’s like there is a second guessing process that goes on, so I think some of your comments today are probably helpful, in being able to process and recognize the value in that. If you have anything to add, to help me in working through both my insecurities and questions about directions, I would appreciate your comments.

Daniel Bob, it is always my pleasure to be of service to you. Always is it beneficial to try to set aside the ego aspect of one’s self that desires protection (Question perfection? Group comments and laughter.) I am chuckling, yes, the ego that desires perfection must seek protection. (More comments and laughing.) Truly, is it impossible to even contemplate the meaning of perfection, at this level. And, so, indeed, the ego seeks protection, it wants to be well thought of, it wants to think well of itself. But, it does not recognize its connection to either the personality or the Parent. So, it is important for the personality to understand the fragileness of the ego, love it, calm it, set it aside. Try to view the situations as they occur from many perspectives, in order to benefit from situations that can arise and grow. If the ego is allowed to run the show, when it is desiring protection, growth is not possible or it is very slow. Do you see? And so, Bob, my words to you are, first of all, to love the most fragile aspects of your being, nurture those tender parts, love the other person or people involved in the situation, and from this perspective of love, view the situation and see what you make of it.

With regards to the "second guessing" once you have undertaken this exercise, you will not need to second-guess, for you will have greater clarity and greater certainty. Sometimes individuals can be very much in the right, but be afraid to really look because they may not be. In other situations, individuals may not be in the right, but again, very afraid to look. This ties back to a discussion we had a couple of weeks ago regarding shame, and the difficulty that people have with error because of the shame that is imbued in this world, as a result, ultimately, of the rebellion. When one can separate shame from error, it is much easier to adjust and grow.

Thank you, my friend, for your trust in raising this issue. (Thank you for your comments. I appreciate them.)

Virginia You know Daniel, I can’t help but think in terms of the resurrection, and how many times Jesus told His apostles what was going to happen, and how they just simply could not even hear what was being said, because of their own expectations and desires. I think that the expectations could be good, in that they thought it was going to be the Kingdom of Heaven on earth, but it also could be very bad in the sense, that now, when He is telling them that He will rise again, they expect Him to be killed by the Roman authorities and by the Sanhedrin. So on either end, humanity can fail to see the springtime, the resurrection, the promise of good, because of our own fears and expectations.

Daniel You have made an interesting connection here, with expectations and fears. Although this …. One moment please. … I apologize, for PamElla is second-guessing me. (Group humorous comments) I do wish to finish my thoughts, which were mine, not hers. The interesting connection I wish to respond to is the use of expectation and fear. Before, you see, the Apostles had their own expectations, yes, but it was their egos that were desiring protection that fought hearing what Michael, Jesus, so clearly told them.

Closing

Therefore, my closing message this evening is to love those fragile, dependent, insecure, self-inflated aspects, those tender egos, that their interference in hearing may be reduced; that their need for protection may be calm; that your communication with our great Parent may be enhanced.

Are there other thoughts, concerns, or observations? …. Please stand, and hold hands.

Great Parent, we thank you for your plan, that includes us, that leads us from animal origins to Your perfection. Thank you for Michael, His bestowal, and His example; a life dedicated to knowing You and doing Your will. May we all contemplate Michael’s life, Jesus’ life and its relationship to us, in this next time frame. Be with these our students as they seek to serve You in the here and now. Amen.