2013-04-03-Your Ground of Free Will

Session

Opening

Dear Michael and Mother Spirit, come and join us. You are sincerely and deeply welcome. Tonight I would like to ask you to expound, if you would, on how you see our relationship, and what suggestions you might have to give us about how we can relate to you. Because we do acknowledge that you two are our celestial-spiritual parents, responsible for the very design of us--what a human being is in all of our aspects: physical and mental and soulful. So we ask this of you--how do you see our relationship, and what advice you could give us? Amen.

Michael: Good evening, my children, this is Michael, and Mother Spirit and I are very glad to answer your questions. Always keep in mind, if you would, in your prayers and in your meditations, when you really open yourself up to what you cannot anticipate on your own; when you open your mind and open your heart to that which is for the moment beyond you; when you reach for us: so often what can occur in your mind, in your thoughts--so very precisely articulated at times; we do have a hand in this. It is not only our mutual Father who can put thoughts in your mind--for you to accept or disregard--that part is up to you, and we’re delighted to remind you of that.

Free will

• Your ground of free will

We do have an influence, yet, in your question tonight of how you should relate to us; the relationship does rest on this ground of your free will. And yet again: your free will is itself conditioned by so much, that we’ve give so many lessons on. Your very language, into which you can put your thoughts, does vary quite a lot in terms of the level of civilization of our children and the development of their language. Mother Spirit is so much a part of your mentality with all the ways that she does help you perceive, and then the way you store that experience.

And so, when you ask how you can relate to us, it is wonderful if you can keep in mind that we are part of you, very much; as is the presence of God, an individualized presence, part of you, part of your highest mind.

Mother Spirit: The way I help you with your knowledge and your understanding?--these are dimensions of me that we share together. This is my Holy Spirit that gives you life and gives you the understanding of your own life. Michael’s Spirit of Truth is, as we’ve taught so often, an orientation.

Michael: This is how I help you orient yourself towards that what is greater than you. I start out by staying, it’s what you reach for--this Encompassing that is: because you are alive, and because all of reality is alive. My Spirit of Truth is a very dynamic thing.

Spirit is life. It’s movement. It’s growth. It’s adventure. It’s not knowing—not always knowing what’s going to happen next, sometimes even right down to the next few minutes. And yet here you are--involved, inextricably involved.

If you are of a spiritual-adventuresome nature, Mother Spirit and I can help you with this involvement. We tease you into thinking of it as an adventure. This could be your greatest glory, my children--accepting this, because it’s not always easy. It’s not always free of pain, or worry, or anxiety. But the desire, the willingness to be involved in life: that too is part of your free will.

Stillness

• Being involved

It’s part of your choice because there is still so much in your culture, hanging on from olden days, that entices you to not be involved; to be removed; to be isolated; to not participate with your fellows. Rather, you feel yourself totally self-sufficient and so do not acknowledge what you are getting from the whole society around you. You pay an enormous, enormous price for this kind of arrogance because it cuts you off from the very thing that feeds your soul--all these other unique beings all around you. Think of all the ways in which your best friend--and your trust in your best friend--can put you aright when you veer off and go terribly wrong. As you say: That’s what best friends are for. They can tell you things and help you, give you some feedback you can accept from no one else.

And so, in your meditations, this is why we suggest just being still rather than filling your mind with some preconceived notions. They are okay in and of themselves, these other kinds of meditations; maybe pondering some truth that’s been given you by your teachers. But to open yourself to all that is; to open yourself to us within you, as well as your Father; to ponder these dimensions that Mother Spirit is involved in because it reminds you that you are a very complex spiritual being with this density of energy you call a body--for you are also, in one way, a persisting living form of physical energy.

To be thankful, to worship our Father and be thankful that you are this kind of a being who can be aware of so much, if you just open yourself to it. For at times this is self-sustaining; you’re even overflowing with the results! You can be giddy with spirit. Some philosophies--some ways of being even talk about “stinking of enlightenment.” You’ve had such wonderful experiences, you can’t wait to go out and bore all your friends with all the details. But this too: there’s a place for this overflowing.

At other times it’s pure effort just to get out of bed in the morning and go through your day; to meet your response-abilities--to be able to respond to the situation and the other folks in it with a sense of duty, a sense of pulling our own weight and being productive of the food and shelter and everything else it takes to be a live, physical person. It’s to have a good sense of pulling your own weight, of doing your part.

You can have such a wonderful sense of belonging to each other, to your family, to your community, to your special organizations where you share so much with each other. Then let all of that go in your meditations and just belong to yourself and to God--and that feeling, for however long. Hopefully it persists when you get up from your meditations. But at least in your meditations, you feel this sufficiency. This alone is enough to carry you forward, just you and God--the best of company. Then Mother Spirit and I are delighted when you can feel our presence too, feel our company.

Friendship

• Friendship

In answer to your opening question of our relationship: it’s all wrapped up in one word, one of your most precious words, called a “friend.” It is this above all. It is above as well our being the God’s of this Local Universe that you will spend millennia getting across. Yes, we are all of that. Mother Spirit in her last lesson invited you to imagine being her and having her extension across thousands and thousands of cubic light years of space, millions of inhabited worlds and architectural spheres, billions upon billions upon billions of personal beings she’s part of. But in essence: a friend--someone you can talk to--someone who can give you suggestions from time to time.

In my life as Jesus one of the most memorable times with my followers was after the crucifixion when I spent some time with them, just being friends. All that terrible, terrible event was over, yet I still was. And so they had this experience of simply being friends with me, before they themselves set off on their missions. This is how Mother Spirit and I, and even our Father, would be most delighted. Actually, we ask you think of us as your closest friends.

This suggests a kind of equality. Just as God is no respecter of persons, that means there is a quality to all personal beings whose essence comes from him. This means that we are alike--for all your few years; for all Mother Spirit’s and my hundreds of billions; for all our nigh uncountable children. This is friendship we offer, and we ask you to think of us this way. This is what you will grow to enjoy, not only with yourselves, but with all the endless spiritual beings you will encounter, and all the survivors of all the worlds of space.

This is what you have in prospect: an unending amount of friends to meet, to greet and share your life with. So let us acknowledge this marvelous gift of our Father’s, this ability to relate to each other and to have each other as our most precious possessions. They put everything else--mere material things--to shame. This is that wonderful thing we have: each other--to fill our souls.

Now if you have any questions or comments, please think of me this way and let’s talk together. See if you have any delightful questions for me tonight.

Dialogue

Student: Actually, I do.

Michael: Go ahead.

Student: Thank you for being here. My question--it’s funny you brought up the subject of having a mentor—a spiritual mentor was going to be the question I was going to ask. From reading The Adventure of Being Human; it says in there that we now can have this on a day-to-day basis. Somewhere in the middle of the book, I think, it talks about that. I just wanted to ask, like, I mean it kind-of address it; but anything in specific for me--how to? I’ve been wanting to establish this kind of connection for years. And so it was really exciting to read that: that it is in fact available for anybody. But is there anything specific for me that you could tell me, how to go about making that connection?

Michael: Yes, my dear. It first starts with a trust, a matter of faith, a devotion. In this you are definitely kind-of putting yourself out there, and holding yourself out there, and holding yourself open, until you do get some feedback.

Student: It could take a while?

Reflection

• Creative ideas

Michael: It could, but this is where we suggest that, to begin with, it is as in these sessions here. We delight in the questions and conversations we have, what you bring us and the way you open your heart, and open your mind. And so it helps when you get started, you can take notes as things occur to you. They can actually disturb your meditation, your openness, because an idea can occur to you and it’s so precious you’re afraid of losing it. That in itself can disturb you so much, it almost assures that you will lose it. So keep a pad of paper near by to write these things down. Make a little note so you can reflect on these later. Then all through the day you can have little mini-meditations. Sit down for five minutes and reflect on what you’re doing.

Now it may take a while for you to detect our presence because it is subtle. We are not intrusive. But we can also be so instantaneous. You can ask a question in your mind of us, to say, “Dear Michael, what do I do about this situation?” And the answer can be right there. It can be difficult. Sometimes what immediately occurs to you is the very thing you’ve been dodging and evading and neglecting for a while. Some of these might be almost too familiar. It’s like getting out of a bad habit, an unhealthy habit of either the physical or mental things you’re doing. It might seem to be almost self-nagging that that’s the first thing that pops up, if it’s, “Why don’t you do this? Why aren’t you doing that?” But take this with a good heart. Like we suggest: just lean in the direction of what you know to be the right thing, whether you can do it yet or not.

Have courage to entertain the better way. At least have it in your mind. That way if you do something, you can simply say: That was dumb. (Michael laughs) You can acknowledge, in a sense, your own limitations. That’s where the Spirit of Truth comes in. There’s an orientation towards the truth, the greater truth, because this, my dear, is what you need to grow. So many of the problems in your human life are at equivalence; things have come into a balance. You’re doing your best yet the situation may be responding or not. But to accept that: This is where I am—here, now, today, this moment. I know I would be better off if I did this, or that, or whatever. This takes courage. This takes enormous courage to entertain, to let this choice come into your mind.

• Making moments count

Take notes. Then in your prayers, in your asking for help, be as specific as you can so the answer can respond in kind. This is how you’re not only bringing to bear your whole mentality, all your wisdom, all your knowledge and understanding; you’re putting this moment in your soul. You’re making this be a moment, a unique moment of understanding, even of your shortcomings, even of your failures, even of your difficulties. Let them be there in your mind for something to work on. This is your spiritual work, my dear. This is how you grow, because with most of these things that have come into a kind of balance, the only way out is to outgrow them, get above them, get beyond them and keep going.

Student: Is it important I know who--once I make a connection, or once anyone makes a connection--who that spiritual being is?

Michael: Not at first. As a matter of fact, I might say it’s a rather rare thing when you can separate who is coming through when a good idea occurs to you. First of all, it could be your own creativity. You are endowed with creative spirit. You’re literally co-creating your whole world. Your whole life is as you see things, as you see yourself. We’ve often called this your ego, and you can definitely be too self-centered and egomaniacal. But also your ego is like--we’ve compared it to your bathroom mirror. It’s a reflection. It’s useful but it’s not all of who you are, you’re so multidimensional in your full reality. But there it is.

So the answer can come from you. It’s not necessary to distinguish the origin. It always comes back to you--to decide what to do. If a great idea occurs to you, the origin is not as critical as your action and what you do about it. This is getting your inside--out, right? This is acting. This is having something happen and then going from there.

Student: There certainly is a lot of need in the world for people to step up and grow spiritual activism, I guess you could say.

Michael: Well, this demand to grow is the one that God puts upon you. As your Urantia Book puts it, this relationship between you and your soul--the presence of God within you; this is a matter of constant growth forever and ever and ever into all that whole universe out there. Even then you’ll just be getting started. You’ll have a whole billion worlds to go through before you get to Paradise. The way is so gigantic, but it’s one step at a time.

That orientation is my Spirit of Truth. Keep reaching for greater truth. You are right. This is the one thing the world needs because there’s enough stuff here. There’s enough material, and energy, and food, and shelter. But there are also people dying of hunger and simple exposure, with only a piece of bare ground and hardly enough clothes to cover them as they sit there, dying.

Yes, this is very much what all the world needs—everyone: reflection; opening to spirit and sharing your life with others. I hope this doesn’t seem to be too much, but in your meditations, in your prayers, this is what you’re involved in: how to grow. How to accept who you are, what you are, then realize that you are even so much more than you can get a hold on. This is why we love to give you all these dimensions that you are, as we see you. You can see yourself this way, and see others this way. Now does any of this seem possible?

Student: Yeah, but for me, what I’m grappling with is finances, really. There are a lot of things coming down at one time. It’s a bit hard for me to focus on other things when I need to look at basics, you know, covering survival issues.

Michael: Well, let this be part of your meditations and your prayers.

Student: I really yearn to be--have that behind me, so I can really focus on bringing forth my contribution, you know, what I feel that I can give, from skills in the outer world, to some meaningful cause or purpose.

Michael: This is where friendship is so invaluable. It’s the people you are involved with in your life. If you feel you have something to give, this is who you give it to. This is how you can--in terms of financial things--open yourself to those who can be of assistance here, who can help you decide where to put your energies. What can you do? In financial terms, what are these other people willing and happy to have you be part of the team, and give you the wherewithal financially? Be open to that. Explore all of that. Make full use of everything your society has to offer along these lines. It might be retraining. You see what I mean by being open in that realm as well. Because spirit is all-inclusive. Spirit does not leave any part of you out.

Think of these for a while, my dear, and we’ll have some of the other students ask questions.

Student: Yeah. Thank you.

Student: Michael, I’d like to ask a question about an experience that I’ve had the last couple of days in which I was overcome by fear for like a day and a half, or more. It was over an important decision, yet I’ve made this sort of decision before and I’ve not encountered anywhere near the amount of fear that I encountered this time. You spoke of our spiritual growth, and I’ve always thought that. I’ve always tried to grow, to allow myself to grow so I could avoid things like this fear that overcame me.

I wonder why. I’ve heard you say before--I think it’s in The Adventure of Being Human--that we can ask you to take our fear from us, and I’ve done that before several times. I felt there was a response at certain times. But the last couple days I was unable to detect any response, and I just had this overwhelming fear. I remember at one point asking, Well, this is not my will? I’m supposed to have free will, and this is not my free will to have this fear. The depth of the fear seemed unwarranted. Can you help enlighten me a bit?

Fear

• One purpose of fear

Michael: Yes, my son. Sometimes this fear is the price you pay for being open--for keeping the situation open, because it can be a way of preventing you from jumping too fast into one decision or another. It’s a signal that things are still open, the decision is not ripe; or if you’ve made a decision, it could still be the wrong one.

Fear is an indication, especially if it has to do with considering a certain decision and it’s not habitual mental illness or anything like that. Fear is a way of your whole being—and I say here “your whole being” because you just expressed how uncomfortable and truly, truly terrible it can be with your whole being mobilizing--fear is a way of releasing energy to devote to this decision; it means you’re still deciding. You haven’t yet committed yourself, and it’s a way of keeping you on that point another hour, another day. It can even keep you from sleeping, from resting. It can fill your mind. Sometimes, in a relationship, it’s the fear of losing someone.

This is the mobilization of energy devoted to a decision that is commensurate with the fear. This, my son, is where it helps--even in the middle of this--to trust that it is commensurate. There’s more fear here because the decision is so much greater than others you’ve had to make. It’s a way of you signaling to yourself that this truly is a big deal happening. It is not at all indicative of a failure of spirit. It’s just painful. It can be very much like a physical injury that you have to suffer for a while.

Your spirit here is the confidence that this is not for nothing. There’s a reason for this. Seen in this light, it is not any indication that you’re not growing, or that you’re backsliding in some way. It just means that the decision itself is a big one. You might have to spend several days going through all the alternatives that this fear can give energy to.

It can be so intense at times that all that’s left is mediation and prayer. You may not feel like being with others, or distracting yourself. But the fear’s purpose is to bring you to that great decision. Once that decision is made, keep in mind this is what it took to get there. Because with the commitment that comes with that decision, it’s good to keep in mind that this is what it took. As I mentioned before this evening, sometimes when things are in an almost too perfect balance between this or that alternative, it takes this kind of intense, really intense study with all the fear and anxiety involved to come to that point of commitment and action. It’s also letting you know that once you do act, some of these actions are irrevocable. Your life will change because you have this free will, because it is your choice.

It doesn’t mean at all that you’re regressing in your soul or in your character. You are just face to face with a really big decision. This understanding can be helped by taking notes, by working on that decision. Do everything you can in terms of knowledge and understanding as the only way out of this fear, because this is what the fear is mobilizing you to do. Now does this make sense?

Student: It does. It does. Thank you very much.

Michael: One time there was a big argument among students of a great master because, when their master was attacked, he cried out in fear. They were thinking: If our master is an enlightened being, how could such a thing happen? How could he be in fear? Often people equate some kind of total enlightenment with never feeling pain again, or anxiety, or fear. But that just means they’re removed from life.

• The power of understanding—what it does

Fear has its purpose. Anger has its purpose. Hopefully they are commensurate to the situation. And your understanding? The great power of understanding is that even though the situation is unavoidable—life does have pain in it; it does have fear and anxiety and worry--the acknowledging of these, the acceptance of this situation, in a funny kind of way is the whole essence of spirit--this moment by moment acceptance of where you are. Let the fear lead you to what you need to understand. Let all that energy being mobilized lead you to the great decision.

Student: Well, I hope I made a great decision.

Michael: Also, my son, you can’t always know. That’s the adventure of being human. The essence of adventure is: not always knowing what’s going to come next. If you’re hanging by your fingernails on the edge of a cliff, it can come down to moments.

Also: adventures happen between people not only in warfare but in love. Sometimes love has to deal with separation and loss. Those you love are hostages to fortune, and part of your heart is out there riding with them. This is the price you pay for the connection with others; but without this, without this connection you would have an empty soul. Similarly, you do have to live your decisions. My son, this is what makes them yours. This is the fulfillment of your free will, so keep these things in mind. Like I advised before, sometimes make notes or, now with your little recording devices, talk to yourself so in the future you don’t too nonchalantly consider this decision you made, and what it cost. Be in my peace.

My daughter, do you have any questions this evening?

Student: I was just wondering how to continue to serve my mother. I think I’m on the right track, but any suggestions on how to serve this 94-year-old being I’m taking care of are joyfully accepted.

(Giving of your life so another can live)

Michael: Well, my dear, as with fear sometimes, so too does it require the energy to give life to another person. For you have a strong spirit, and you have a generosity of spirit in giving of yourself. This is not at all a matter of selfhood or self-centeredness, but a critical matter of how to take care of yourself.

This is that hard part of wisdom: sometimes you have to try different things--be open--be experimental, even with another person, to see what works and what doesn’t work. See what their response is. Again: it’s not a matter of ego to credit yourself with giving life, literally giving of your life so that someone else can continue to live. This is the greatest gift of all, yet it has to be weighed with evaluating your own life. Because when you start thinking of the two of you as an organic living unit, it is not always good that you die in order for someone else to live. That’s not right if the balance is tipped too much to where you are giving so much more of life than what is being received.

There is a price you pay for continuing to be open, to not be judgmental, to, in a sense, ride along with the situation because it is someone else, someone with their own independence from you, that you have to deal with. So carry on, my daughter. There’s no way out of evaluating the situation day by day. As I talked about all the fear sometimes involved in a great decision, you keep that in mind and have it be part of your soul. In your case, it’s the shear effort, the energy it takes to do all that you’re doing. You have to be very careful of your health, for the both of you.

When a person is kind-of glomming onto you and draining your energy, you have to be somewhat removed. You have to let them know, because they need to know what they are doing. This is, again, part of friendship. This is what a good friend does--give someone feedback--with love, with as much attention to their limitations as you can.

It’s like keeping some enormous thing up in the air, sometimes minute-by-minute, to not merely react but be creative and active, even as you’re being attacked, or disregarded, or disrespected. What you are feeling moment by moment: this is real, and this is really living to your fullest. Ironically, this is what makes you strong and able to give of yourself, to be this anchor for another.

A cynical person could say, “Well, the more I’m capable of doing, the more is heaped on me.” But that’s ignoring the blessing of having a full life with real people in your soul. The unmistakable having, the real genuine having of life, is the price you pay for it--sometimes in fear, or anxiety, or just not knowing where to go. There’s also being exhausted, taking care of someone. Feel this adding to your soul, my dear. Feel how you are growing through this. And even, if possible, thank our Father for the very situation.

Student: Thank you.

• Meaning and value

Michael: You’re welcome, my dear. We’re touching tonight on the very meaning of meaning and value. It’s what gives life meaning. It’s how you can know the value of things because they are costing you. Without this meaning, without value, if it gets severe enough you have to be institutionalized. Someone else has to take care of you because all the meaning and all the value has drained away. There’s no relationship then. You’re off in some limbo where nothing of value is happening to feed your soul. There’s no co-creativity. There’s no ability to do your part. For the poor souls caught up in this, it is truly a hell right in life.

Sometimes the most difficult thing, the thing that takes the greatest courage and the greatest heart, is to say, “Thank you, Father. Thank you for this very situation that is stretching me to the utmost limits of what I am capable. I don’t know what’s coming next so please be with me. Please accept my most humble gratitude for this very situation, for I know it will break in time. It will break my way, even if not in this life, then with my faith, and my determination, and my courage, for that life to come. I give you my whole heart and soul. I acknowledge you, and I recognize I’m not even keeping my own heart beating. Thank you, Father, for these others in my life, these other unfathomable beings like me--that we can have each other, that we can have our lives together.”

This is Michael saying, Thank you, my children, for your courage, for your creativity, for your sticking it out, for your determination. You’re truly amazing to Mother Spirit and me. As we’ve said before, even we don’t know the full extent of what you’re going to do next. That is you. That is what you have for yourselves. This is your life, and all that you are paying for it does truly make it yours.

Keep meditating. Keep praying. Keep staying with yourself. Don’t let anything separate you from yourself and from our Father. This is growing your soul. You are fulfilling your purpose here in these very struggles we share. So thank you for coming here to be with me tonight.

Student: Can I ask another question?

Michael: Certainly.

Student: Could you comment on the situation that’s brewing in the threats of war in Korea towards us, the United States? It’s a little disconcerting. I’m a little concerned about it. Anything to say or comment on that.

Authority

• The evolving dissemination of authority

Michael: Well, my dear, in the light of these still unresolved national and international issues, in the light of this it is hard sometimes to see what Mother Spirit and I call the inexorable, absolutely unstoppable evolution of culture and civilization: the fact that truly more and more people all over the world are getting more and more control over their own individual lives. There is world-wide what we call this spreading out, this sharing of authority. What you are seeing in some of these remaining--what you call--dictatorships where so much social and political power is held in the hands of so few because they control the military might; those who rise up against them in seeking a more democratic society are truly suffering, in some cases tens of thousands dead and wounded.

It’s good to keep in mind that only sixty years or so ago, you had what you call a World War where tens of millions of people died, mostly from things like starvation and exposure along the periphery of combat. Here where you have two nation-states going against each other from such totally opposite kinds of society, you can only pray that war does not occur because with today’s technology you can have such a lopsided show of force that so many can die so quickly. Pray that cooler heads do prevail, that the egos on the part of some of the rulers on both sides do have some genuine mercy and compassion for those who would suffer so terribly.

This again, my dear, is one of those things that will play out sometimes day by day. Even through the “cold” war, sometimes it got down to a few hours or even minutes where enormous forces were tipping in the balance.

Student: I had thought to get together, you know, with a few people to have a group prayer to minimize the conflict or antagonism of the leaders, to minimize the threat.

Michael: All the energy you can pour into this situation, the better. This is a genuine thing you can do, and I definitely commend you for the idea. Carry on; I mean: carry through with that plan.

Student: Okay.

Michael: Ultimately I’m talking about personalities, because even all the armed forces on both sides get down to people, individual people. The cultures are so different, and the peoples are so different, this can be part of the misunderstanding. Mother Spirit and I regret sometimes we cannot get deeper into some of your political or social problems, almost because of the language itself. Especially in terms of politics, language can be so polarized. There is almost nothing we can say because different peoples have such totally different understandings and meanings of the same word.

You have your classical example of people arguing over passages in the Bible, taking two entirely different meanings from the exact same words. So we do suggest and invite you to be broadminded in your political and social life. Be aware of all these different viewpoints, and be undaunted by the complexity of the situation. Stay with it and pray that it does come out.

• Inexorable evolution and national sovereignty

Part of this inexorable, unavoidable, unstoppable evolution that your world is involved in leads to these confrontations because, for the very holdouts—I won’t say which side—but for the very holdout notions that some nation-states still have of their--shall we say—their own sovereignty regardless of others--warfare is a means of resolving conflict. Usually it is so terrible it does change things and bring a resolution of the confrontation.

Student: It seems like an unacceptable method, though. It seems so barbaric and outdated that we’re still even contemplating resolving conflict like that.

Michael: But this is where your world is. In your world you have individuals, single individuals whose wealth and social power can hardly be measured. What does it mean to be a multi-billionaire and have that much control, while others, as I’ve said tonight, have just the dirt under their poor bottoms as they sit there almost naked, starving and dying.

This is the world as you have it. It definitely points the way to grow out of this situation: all these individuals have to grow. So take this to heart in your own life. Try as best you can not to cling on to something just because it is. Use your own creativity to come up with that next step. And then step off. That’s what you’re here for. This is your purpose.

Closing

My dears, let me say good evening. I hoped to give you some assurance that even the difficult things, the fear and the pain, the exhaustion that you know, are not necessarily because you’re doing something wrong. In one way, it’s God’s fault. He plopped you down in the middle of this adventure in which sometimes the future is opaque. Try your best it gets down to sometimes saying, “Dear Father, what do I do next?”

So: good evening. Mother Spirit sends her love and I bid you be in my peace. Feel it to the best of your ability. Treasure it. Welcome it. And then extend it to others to the best of your ability. Good night.