Review of Lessons 165–166

165. Let not my mind deny the Thought of God. 166. I am entrusted with the gifts of God.

God is but Love, and therefore so am I.

I can deny the gifts of God by deciding they must arrive in a more impressive form.

I look for unmistakable guidance, sustained peace, or words that will transform someone’s difficulty. Meanwhile, patience, honesty, and ordinary kindness are already waiting to be given.

These review ideas remind me that the Thought of God is present before I recognize it—and that I have been entrusted with extending what I receive.

I once visited someone whose life had become crowded by a difficult situation. There were papers on the counter, dishes in the sink, and more decisions waiting than one conversation could resolve.

I kept searching for the useful thing to say.

Then I noticed the dishes.

Washing them did not solve the problem or prove that I understood its weight. It gave care a form small enough for that afternoon.

God is but Love, and therefore so am I.

The Thought of God does not always enter the world through certainty. It can appear through my willingness to be present without controlling what presence must accomplish.

Today I want to notice the gift I am withholding because it seems insufficient.

It may be a practical task, an apology, a meal, a truthful answer, or the decision to listen without improving anyone’s feelings.

I am not responsible for making the gift dramatic enough to prove God is present.

I am responsible only for no longer denying what Love has placed in my hands.