2004-11-07-Ego & Frustration in Getting to Know Father

Session

Opening

Bob D: Dear Father, thank you for the blessing of having our brother Ron here, and thank you for bringing us together. May we hear your wisdom and insight as it is expressed through your vast creation directly, indirectly, or in any other manner that you find to touch us. [The] interesting times that we live in and with the events that arise, sometimes, I know—speaking for myself—that at times I feel uncertain and uneasy, but you always seem to come through and give a ray of hope to grasp onto and a direction to follow. May we ever grasp onto the rays and follow your light.

DANIEL (Nancy): Greetings. I am Daniel, guide and teacher to this Southeast Idaho Teaching Mission group.

Ron, my brother, it is my pleasure, deeply felt pleasure, to welcome you here this evening. We have awaited your participation among these our students for some time now. The desires of your heart are well known, and we feel privileged to be associated with you. Thank you, my friend, if I may call you that, for your openness and willingness to expand your path to the Father to include this broad highway known as the Teaching Mission which is but its own relatively narrow path in the broad expanse of the Correcting Time. Welcome.

Virginia: Daniel, thank you for those words. I had told Ron that I would probably introduce him and the teachers would probably say that they know him and have been awaiting him, so, I thank you very much Daniel for your welcome. We are just so glad that you and the teachers are aware of people that we need to include.

Ron: Thank you for your greeting Daniel.

Dialogue

DANIEL: My pleasure; truly my pleasure.

Tonight we wish to provide an open format and to respond to questions, concerns, [and to] provide background. We wish to assist you all this evening in that which you would find most beneficial. When I say "we" I am referring to the group teachers as well as the individual teachers of those present. We also have a room full of visitors which is normal operating procedure. What thoughts are uppermost in your minds this week?

LaReen: Can we do the election over?

DANIEL: My dear friends, I anticipated a desire for encouragement, hope, and faith-building. I understand the weariness in many of your hearts.

Tonight I would remind you that Jesus chose not to operate in the political / social spheres of his time, for he wished to live a life that could be understood and would be deeply meaningful to his entire universe and to mortals of all ages. This does not mean that you should not involve yourselves in politics, no. But remember that such institutions are temporal and that the promises given last week with regards to the ultimate destiny of this planet remain solid. [Editors Note: Daniel is referring to promises made by Minearisa in the lesson from the previous week.]

You know of course that through struggle, through deep questioning, spiritual progress—and through spiritual progress, social progress—is made. Just as in your own lives you are learning to look for the opportunities and the lessons in uncomfortable situations and to find the gift and experience the gratitude, so should you view the larger social context as an opportunity for social growth.

My dear, LaReen, I am willing to discuss this further, and indeed there others who would take a turn at the microphone on this topic. How can we further address your needs?

LaReen: Oh that’s fine. I was looking for the magic wand again. That’s sufficient. I know all these things; I just have to apply them.

DANIEL: Yes there is great opportunity for growth for nearly half of the politically-minded citizens of this country in avoiding hostility, avoiding discouragement, and looking for those opportunities to carry those messages forward that are most near and dear to each individual heart through positive expression.

Virginia: Daniel, I’m not sure who maybe wants to comment. I know that God is not limited by my belief system, and as I look at the belief systems that appear to be the majority, I just have to remind myself that God is not limited by whatever a country does, whatever a religion does but rather as the promise that Minearisa made—and certainly the book says—that on a planet, His will will eventually make it. We are going to light and life. I have to keep reminding myself that this is perhaps just another step and the pendulum is swinging and it will swing in God’s direction. Whatever that is! You know, I can not say.

DANIEL: My dear, I understand your meaning, and I would remind you that there are those who look at the same political landscape that you view and see God’s will in motion.

Virginia: I know!

DANIEL: God’s will is truth, beauty, and goodness. In time, truth becomes discernible, beauty is distinguishable, and goodness will prevail. Ron, my friend, do you have questions for the teachers this evening?

Ron: I have one Daniel. It’s been on my heart. Is desiring the Father as much as possible (words not understood), I know that my Father knows me better than I do, why is it so frustrating?

DANIEL: My friend, you have expressed the great conundrum and frustration experienced by mortal beings, and I smiled as did PamElla and many others of us who have lived a mortal life.

The frustration is the result of uncertainty, lack of clarity, and the desire of the ego to have its own way, to assert itself, to be raised up out of proportion to its purpose, and this can cause great frustration. There is also the need for mortal beings to provide themselves physical security, and to trust that the Father does provide all that is needed can be difficult when looking into the future or looking in the past rather than in experiencing the moment in which’s God’s love is full and complete and present.

Mortal beings are a mixture of electro-chemical, material, signals, even instinctual responses, as well as divine with the great privilege of housing the Thought Adjusters—those aspects of the First Source and Center. The ego is there to help organize one’s understanding and interactions with the more material realms, but it can often become mal-aligned. The personality makes the decision of where to put its focus.

With proper alignment with the Father, the ego is a welcome servant. Without this continual alignment, the ego can become as a small child, unaware of the larger picture and demanding that it be given time and attention now. The personality can feel very battered between this great desire to know God, to love God, and to serve God, and the demands of this ego side.

It can be quite a helpful tool to understand the ego-self as separate from the personality decision maker, so that this aspect [the ego] can be quieted through loving acceptance and properly aligned so that there is not the confusion. It can be helpful to separate the sources of input [to the personality].

Is this of assistance to you, my friend? How may I serve you further?

Ron: Yes, that assisted me some, in a way. When you were telling me about the ego, it is almost like the ego part of us is like a spoiled little brat who wants its way and wants it now, instead of being patient and yielding.

DANIEL: Yes, the ego is like a young child, and even perhaps like a spoiled bratty-like behaving child. And yet it is very important to see this aspect [of ones’ self] as needing love rather than needing discipline—discipline in the austere sense.

Let me explain further. Small children have developmental needs at various ages. And when these developmental needs are met in a timely appropriate manner, then the child is able to express creatively and joyously. But when these needs are not met, behavior distortions can occur that are carried forward. Perhaps this child’s parents were not able to be nurturing. Perhaps they were punishing and severe. Then this child longs to be loved, to be held, to be understood, to be nurtured. And this desire can show up in unruly wild behavior. The need is love. To respond with criticism and anger drives this now adolescent into rebellion and self-destructive behavior.

The ego is very much like this. And so whenever you can find that ego self [within yourself or in others], the best way to align it into the service of the Father is to allow it the love of the Father. And this does not mean to let it "run the show." But it means that through listening, understanding, acceptance, self-forgiveness, the ego can be quieted and find its proper role in human functioning.

I was reacting to your words of "spoiled brat" and inference of "non-yielding."

Ron: Thank you, Daniel.

Daniel: My pleasure.

Virginia: Daniel, the word "alignment" came up several times in your discourse here. This is a very silly question. I’m sure you are going to laugh it down, but why is it that when we most need to spend time with the Father to get this alignment that we desire, that it is most difficult to set aside the time to do that? Other things….this last week….see I don’t know if it is my discouragement or whether it’s a matter of regulating time. Here I am very discouraged about life, and I certainly am not negative, but I guess I am saying…why don’t we do what we know to do? My spirit is willing, my flesh is weak. I guess I answered my own question, I don’t know.

Ron: Why do we sleep instead of watching and praying?

DANIEL: My friends, those of us who do not come from planets that were settled in light and life, and those individuals with experience with planets of rebellion, understand this self-defeating behavior. However teachers from more advanced planets have been very discouraged by this behavior. I would remind you of Will going to Michael with her concerns.

And, so, rather than answer the question of why this is so, I would promote stillness at whatever hour it can be found. We have suggested many different techniques to work with your time constraints. If you can not make a ten or fifteen minute appointment, try 30 seconds every hour or two. The goal is to connect with love, with the peace that is there for you.

Always we promote stillness first, but we are patient. We understand the difficulties—not only of time—but of success in your attempt to reach out. Another of the ironies is that when you are most in need, at times you feel nothing but the blur of emotions, the high anxiety, the physical pain, and you do not experience the love and the comfort that is there. At these times say "Father, please just let me be with you. Just, please, Father, hold me and rock me. I feel so alone, and I can not find you. But I know you are there for me. Help quiet my mind so that I may hear your loving voice." The discipline of the stillness practice can assist in strengthening the channels so that this lifeline is more apparent to you even in times of duress. While we know and acknowledge that electro-chemical malfunctioning can severely weaken the perception of the link, God’s anchor remains solidly connected.

Virginia: Thank you, Daniel. That was beautiful. I need to be rocked.

DANIEL: Yes, dear friends. We understand and empathize. I would remind you of Minearisa’s address from last week regarding the pressures both spiritual and material that are being applied. Know that these pressures are to promote greater growth. We understand the discomfort, and we are here longing to assist you in all ways that we can. We love you dearly. It is our desire to serve and to offer encouragement.

Virginia: Thank you, Daniel.

DANIEL: My pleasure.

LaReen, my dear sister, is there anything further that I can discuss with you this evening?

LaReen: No Daniel. That was another beautiful lesson. I always appreciate your lessons and you. And I am grateful that Ron has found us.

DANIEL: Yes. Thank you.

Closing

If there are no further questions or comments, please hold hands for our closing prayer.

Father, we thank you for the opportunity to hold hands with these our younger brothers and sisters to share our experience, to share the wisdom that comes from a broader (tape turned and words lost). We are grateful for the myriad ways that you provide for us to serve you and to grow toward you with ever greater perfection. Be with these our charges this week. Encourage them. Love them. Provide broader perspectives. Give them fortitude. Give them patience. Reveal your love ever more deeply. We ask this in the name of your Great Son whom it is our honor and privilege to serve, Christ Michael. Amen.