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Sunday, October 21, 2001
Dr.
Domenic A. Polifrone
made the statement
on the "Dial-A-Faith-Lift" telephone message for the Hollywood
Church of Religious Science, that "we are going to cross out the
word challenges and replace it with the word opportunities.
Opportunities to learn more about God and one another." These
words hit my consciousness like an earthquake and immediately I begin to
think how often most of us use the word challenge or problem when all we
are facing is an opportunity. The powerful metaphysician, Dr.
Domenic, is not only talking about turning from "challenge
thinking" to "opportunity thinking" but he also turned
immediately to Love, "to learn more about God and one
another." This moves us from just making a statement to
taking the statement and acting on it with Love. After all, all
the lovely words in the world will not change anything unless we are
inspired to action.
In scripture we can read, "with all thy
getting, get understanding." This statement is often
used by Dr. O. C. Smith at the
City of Angels Church of Religious Science,
and is the
foundation for finding peace in life. What separates us from each
other and from God, is a lack of love and understanding. These two
magnificent church leaders are giving their audiences the keys to peace;
learn more about God and each other and get understanding.
Dr. Domenic
is right, we must
erase the word "challenge" from our vocabulary. This
word is just another word that holds us earthbound and in the problem.
"We cannot solve a problem at the level of the problem."
Emerson wrote, "the creation of a thousand
forests is in one acorn." The same is true of words.
The word challenge is depressing and rife with limitation, while the
word opportunity is filled with the stuff that the acorn contains.
When we use the word opportunity we are opening our mind to the infinite
possibilities and transcending the problem. As we recognize an
"opportunity" we realize that everything is exactly the way it
should be. We can accept that what is happening is perfect right
action and then we are not tempted to resist it, whether it be a
situation, a person or a condition. What we resist, persists.
We know this is the truth and resistance is just another way that fear
deceives us into staying in the problem.
Challenge thinking not only keeps us in the problem and creates a delay
in healing or transcending the problem but most often this consciousness
will find its way to finding blame, either blaming ourselves, blaming
others or the world. Once we give power to anything or anyone
outside of ourselves, than we become powerless to create something else.
Now in truth, Henry Lee Bates (the human) can be
challenged, but the "I" within me, the Divine Essence that I
truly am, is never challenged, and always knows who It is and what It is
about. We are in Truth, Divine Humans. As we feel fear or
powerless in our human-ness we can rely on the Divinity within us to
give us strength and inspiration to face the opportunity head-on, and
master the situation, the condition or whatever it is that is blocking
our very Good.
And
So It Is!
Letting Love use me
in Its own Good Way,
Henry Lee
Bates
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