2004-09-12-Hope and Illusion

Session

Opening

Ham: Greetings, friends, I am Ham and I am grateful to have this time with you this evening. Let us discuss the difference between hope and illusion.

Lesson

Hope is instilled in the human soul by the human act of faith. Faith reaches toward the unknown and hope is instilled in the human heart in reciprocal measure by the spirit. Hope then becomes an increasingly permanent attitude of the soul toward life in general. Hope does not necessarily attach itself to any one particular hoped for outcome. Hope is rather that attitude of faith which believes in the Father’s goodness and trusts in his guidance. Hope is believing the future will turn out for the best, however that may be.

Illusions come about when hope is attached to a specific future outcome. Illusion can then dominate hope and cause a person to do whatever it takes to create that illusion in reality. In this way, the ends begin to justify the means, so much so that the greater the utopian nature of the illusion, the more worth its increasingly desperate and even immoral measures become justified by that illusion.

This is a universal human trait. But faith, true faith, does not hold on to any specific illusion of the future. Human faith must be child-like trust and in that trust the individual human must forgo their own illusions about what should or should not be. Sublime faith is made ever more pure by the constant relinquishing of your own investment in the outcome. The Master said constantly at the end of his prayers, "Nevertheless, not my will but your will be done Father". This is the epitome of human wisdom.

Human beings must learn how to trust in God without requiring any specific proof for themselves of his overcare. Many human beings, in fact most human beings at this point in your history, are still in the business of requiring proof of God’s care in some specific instance. But as you mature in the spirit, you come to see evidence of God’s over care constantly around you. No longer is this a matter of praying and receiving some gift. No, it is the process of seeing all of your life as a gift. All of existence is a miracle.

As you come to deepen your personal faith you must recognize that the illusions of faith must be shattered in your fellows and in yourselves for you cannot truly walk with God if you are constantly moving in your own direction. Move instead in the direction of increasing appreciation for the Father’s constant help. Appreciation, yes, but imposing a direction, no.

Those who are youngest among you must come to trust the Father to help cultivate their gifts and as you go through life, you will be always amazed at the Father’s ability to cultivate your gifts more and more. Each of you has come to this world complete with the Father’s plan for your lives. The spirit who lives within you wants to give you more and more the ability to recognize your own abilities. In doing this, he will help you recognize your limitations as well and this is also part of the maturing process for the Father must work simultaneously to cultivate your inner spiritual fruits while paring off the old illusions of what you once were or what you once wanted to be. Your assignment in this life is to grow in increasing self-discovery and self-understanding. You are each of you continually undergoing this process, accepting what you are not and accepting what you are.

You are all doing very well and you are all patiently submitting yourselves to the process of spiritual growth. Spiritual growth is not pain free. In fact, it can be very painful to undergo the process of shattering old illusions. Such, however, is the way of Michael. Those who follow him must submit themselves to pain as well as joy, to sorrow as well as love. Each of you is finding your way and as you do you must also find your own way to grasp the Father’s hand and to submit to his own gentle leading.

Personal Counsel

Q: Do you have anything for me tonight Ham?

Ham: Of course my dear. You are doing just fine. Take things one step at a time. Like I said before, take your time and don’t be in a hurry to rush here or there. You need to digest the things you are learning so be at peace with yourself. Other parts of your life will begin to come together and you will have all you need as time goes on.

Q: Do you have anything for Rebecca?

Ham: Daughter, you are doing very well. Your efforts are already bearing fruit and the way before you will open step by step.

Q: Jarad?

Ham: My son Jarad, you are also doing very well. You have before you many new and wonderful opportunities. Recognize that you can relax and enjoy everything that will be coming to you. Have optimism and courage for as you open new doors, new blessings will be bestowed upon you. Relax then, and be at peace for you are doing well.

Q: Do you have any counsel for me tonight Ham?

Ham: Certainly my son. You are doing very well and you are also growing in inner confidence and inner strength. We are very happy to see the progress you have made over the last year or so. This progress will continue and you will find ever increasing levels of calm, joy, and balanced peace. You are doing very well.

Q: I have two questions, is there anything for me tonight and can I schedule a private session with you in the near future?

Ham: Yes my son, you are doing well. You are finding a way to bring your faith ever forward without moving into the area of possible destructive illusions of life. You have the ability to move forward with a calm, assured balance and this is coming upon you in ever greater measure. Yes, you may certainly have a private session. Rebecca requests Friday Afternoon 2:00 PM. We will discuss in more detail at that time.

Q: Do you have a personal message for Wendaring?

Ham: Yes my dear, you are doing well. Have peace in your heart and trust in your divine spirit. Know my dear that the Father sends a portion of himself to live within the heart and mind of each one of his children. He is constantly with you and knows your every thought. Do not be afraid then to open yourself to him and to trust in his good guidance.

Q: Do you have a personal message for Bob B?

Ham: Certainly, my son. You are doing just fine. You have certainly been under some pressure, but this is beginning to lift and you are coming to grasp the true freedom resulting from spiritual growth. Too long have you been enslaved to irrational fears and unprovoked anxieties. As you come to trust more and more in the spirit, you will find yourself required to increasingly release such fears and to embrace faith in their place. Faith in the goodness, protection, and mercy of God is the only thing strong enough to vanquish fears. Trust as a child trusts and you will be surprised at how well things seem to manage.

Q: Do you have a personal message for Marije and anything about her little daughter?

Ham: Certainly my dear, you are doing very well. For a child the most important thing is to grow up in a stable situation with both mother and father. She is already surrounded by love and this loving environment is all that she requires to grow into a stable and secure healthy human being. Most of the troubles in life are really small things. Be careful to keep a long range view so that these small things do not become magnified in your mind. Love is the most important thing this little child requires. Provide her with that and trust in the Father to provide the rest.

Q: Do you have a personal message for Charlie B?

Ham: Certainly my son, you are doing just fine. Be completely at ease with yourself my son. Grow in your willingness to extend self-acceptance to your self. In other words, begin to see yourself as the Master sees you. Release your old concepts of yourself and let the Father expand them.

Q: This is Jarrett is there any other personal messages you would like to say to me tonight?

Ham: Certainly my son. You are doing very well. You have accepted the responsibility of a man and you have conducted yourself very well through the trials you have experienced lately. As you grow in your budding self-awareness, you will find that this lesson serves you well in the future. Self-discipline is hardly emphasized in the youth culture of society and yet a young person’s capacity for self-discipline is a good measure of character and a good guide post portending well for the future. Obeying someone is one thing, but obeying your higher self for the purposes of your higher calling is something else. Continue then to cultivate a healthy self-discipline so that you have the tools available in your character to deal with the challenges and difficulties lying ahead. Also, you have a strong intellectual bent. This is good, but it must continually be tempered by the loving spirit within you for intellectual achievement can quickly sour into intellectual pride and arrogance. Reach into your heart often. Do not be afraid of your inner feelings. Rather, understand them, embrace them, and release them. The wisest of men are those who know themselves best. You are doing just fine. Is this helping your understanding?

Yes, thank you.

Q: How do we avoid illusions about the future while not becoming passive toward things that matter, especially given that some people are willing to do very evil things in order to make their illusions a reality? I just don’t now how to separate trust and faith from passivity of action. Can you help me understand that?

Ham: It is helpful to remember that man proposes while God disposes. You may work toward a specific goal and this goal may be noble and worthy, but at the end of your efforts you must accept what has occurred in reality over what you wished to have occurred. And in that sense you must trust that the reality you are confronted with is not an orphan from the Father’s plan but rather part of it. Yes, sometimes it may seem as though those who are willing to go to any lengths in order to make their illusions reality will win. But this is not so. For the evil which men do, for supposedly noble purposes, always wind up enveloping those purposes and thus become at one with the purpose. Never fear the designs of evil men. Rather counter them with beauty, truth, and goodness. For these three are arrows in the quiver of every God knowing man. Never underestimate the power of love and truth in this world and you will have all of both that your require.

Q: It is not that we should not be interested in the future or interested in the world, it is just that we should not be invested in a particular vision of the future.

Ham: Exactly.

Q: Do you have feedback for me this week?

Ham: Of course my son. You are doing very well and are finding every greater peace, even in the midst of the storm. Others can rant and rave and you can remain composed and at peace. This gives you the greater freedom for this gives you the greater self-control. In this life, personal freedom is directly proportional to personal self-control.

Q: I still feel like I have a long way to go in that department.

Ham: All human beings do, you would not be human otherwise.

Closing

Be at peace my children. Have gentleness with each other. Pray for each other and all is well.