I Am Never Left Comfortless

Comfort (v.) c.1280, from O.Fr. conforter "to comfort, help, strengthen," from L.L. confortare "to strengthen much" (used in Vulgate), from L. com- intens. Prefix + fortis "strong."

A Course in Miracles states 6 times, that we have not been left comfortless. For what reason do you think that Jesus found it so important to numerously repeat this affirmation for us? Perhaps it is because our thinking mind seems to berate us in its belief of weakness. Perhaps it is because we so often jump to the conclusion that we are alone and friendless? Perhaps it is because we have so adamantly forgotten Who we are in God, and have chosen to reinvest in this dream every moment we listen to the ego. However, no matter what Jesus’ reason, one thing is certain; our belief in the ego is without reason.

What comforts you? Take a moment to grab a piece of paper and make a list. I’ll wait.
Now, look at your list and I’d like you to think of all the needs associated with these comforts. For instance, at first, when I made my list, my mind jumped to ideas about dark chocolate and warm homemade chicken soup. I considered the down comforter and fluffy pillows on my bed. However, all of these creature comforts require a previous agreement in our need to be comforted. For instance, I could not desire chocolate unless I was sad, craving, or hungry. I could not feel a profit from the warm chicken soup unless I saw myself as sick on some level. Finally, the down comforter and pillows, only help me get the rest that my body feels it needs.

Therefore, these comforts do not hold a single candle to our Real Comfort. Why? Because only our Real Comfort is not dependent on anything. My individual comforts are all ways that I have made to fill myself when I am feeling empty within. The chocolate is an emotional crutch to lift my brain chemistry and bring satisfaction to my taste buds. Nevertheless, who would need chocolate if they already were filled up? I know this sounds completely bizarre when I say this.. don’t we ALL need chocolate?

Yet, think about it this way. You have just stepped back from the grandest meal you could ever imagine. You are satisfied beyond measure. In this sense, would you have any need for anything else? Would you have the craving? Would you have the need? Surely not. In your complete satisfaction, you would only want to rest. Therefore, this is God’s witnessing for us in all the completion that He has endlessly given us. In God, every day we receive the grandest meal we could ever imagine. In fact, God’s grandeur is beyond our imagination. Truly, all we need do after receiving such a glory of perfection is rest. Resting in the glory is the only act that could affirm our eternal satisfaction.

God’s comfort is completely different from our individual comforts. How? Because God’s comfort is not an alleviation of weakness. God’s comfort is an affirmation of empowerment. In fact, God’s Comfort is His Strength. In researching the word comfort, this recognition completely knocked my socks off. Okay, well I wasn’t really wearing socks.. but nonetheless. The origin of the word “comfort” is and I quote, “with strength.” I know before, when I thought of comfort, I thought of something that helped me get by when my sites were set very low. However, the real definition of comfort has nothing to do with that. The true definition emphasizes that when I am comforted I am with strength. Not the type of strength presented in lieu of weakness, but a strength that affirms and supports all that we already have. Therefore, when I am truly comforted I am with God’s Strength.

I cannot have God’s Strength if I define myself in weakness. God’s comfort may be there, but I (in my insistence of my weakness) will only deny it. In my denial, I will call out for more refined dark chocolate, warmer blankets and fluffier pillows, only because all I feel within is emptiness, cold, and hunger. Here, I am denying the Truth of my Reality. Therefore, this is why God’s Comfort is not alleviation for anything, but instead, an affirmation of everything!

You cannot find God’s comfort in anything of the world. I will repeat this because I know it is a dozy for the brain. You cannot find God’s comfort in anything of the world. As I said before, this is simply because God’s comfort is not dependent on anything. However, I will take it a step further. Whenever we are seeking for God’s comfort from anything of the world, we are denying looking in the one place it already eternally exists, within us!

I think of a Native American parable I once heard about how Great Spirit asked all the animal spirits where to place man’s greatest gift. Several of the animals explained how they should represent man’s greatest gift and gave many reasons why. However, in the end, one of the wisest animal spirits suggested that man’s greatest gift should be located, of all places, within HIM! I do not recall the story exactly, but just in those recollections, I think of how the moral of this story is simply to stop looking on the outside and start looking within. Which by the way, Jesus’ request to seek not outside yourself also is mentioned in the Course over 8 times.

So how do we accomplish this? Personally, I know I spent many years seeking outside myself and in some ways still do. As most of you know, a few of us are practicing now 40 days of surrender. These are the same forty days that Spirit prompted me to practice back in November, but now we are joining in our purpose. As part of this surrender practice, Spirit affirmed for me exactly why I had a tendency not to surrender before. The answer clearly was fear. Actually, as part of my original surrender practice, Spirit wrote a guide with me each day outlining exactly how I was to surrender and why. Each one of these calls to surrender reiterated how my main concern was fear. Fear expressed in the need to control. Fear expressed in my own insecurity and feels of worthlessness. Fear in my own discomfort. Fear in my own judgments and resistance. However, no matter the way I opposed surrender, each moment Spirit clearly guided that I could reconcile this fear with trust.

On my favorite etymology website, when you research a word, not just the origins of that word will come up, but the site will provide a list of words most relating to the word you are researching. Curiously, or shall I say perfectly, when I researched the word comfort, the first word that was most associated with it was TRUST! Amazing eh? So, here, in this message, concurrence is showing us exactly how we find God’s Comfort… TRUST!

In the Course’s workbook, there is one particular lesson that points out exactly how these two concepts are related. Lesson 47 “God is the strength in which I trust.” This lesson states specifically,

“If you are trusting in your own strength, you have every reason to be apprehensive, anxious and fearful. What can you predict or control? What is there in you that can be counted on? What would give you the ability to be aware of all the facets of any problem, and to resolve them in such a way that only good can come of it? What is there in you that gives you the recognition of the right solution, and the guarantee that it will be accomplished?” (ACIM Workbook, Lesson 47)

Gosh, Jesus surely holds no punches! But seriously, he is exactly right! As long as I insist on finding comfort within my ways, I will surely be left in misery and confusion. Why? Simply because it is usually my best thinking that had brought me as far as I was able to go at that moment. Now, if that moment was confusion, that is as far as it is going to go unless I choose to give myself over to another, more knowing, Guide. Spirit is that Guide as He is the awareness within us of God’s eternal Comfort. When Jesus said that “we would never be left comfortless” this is the comfort for which he was speaking. Spirit’s awareness within us will always lead us in the right direction for the right knowing. Spirit’s awareness is the remembrance of the Truth and Strength we are beyond every disparaging image of our struggling mind. Spirit knows that there is no purpose in the struggle, and that all we need do is release our little will for God’s Will, accepting that only His Will is True for our peace of mind.

When I choose to accept that it is ONLY in God’s Strength that I can trust, I am finally stepping back from my personal investment in weakness and turning towards the Light of True Knowing. In this simple single choice, all shadows fade away and I am embraced by the Light, in fact, I am absorbed by the Light where there can be no other distraction.

The Course says that for me to put my trust where trust is unwarranted is only to justify fear, anxiety, depression, anger and sorrow. “Who can put his faith in weakness and feel safe?” Therefore, if I am to seek my comfort in things (the blanket that I use only because I am cold, the dark chocolate I eat only because I am hungry, or the chicken soup I drink only because I am sick) I will only know need. However, God knows that we are complete as He Created Us. Perfect and needless, He stands with us affirming His Strength radiantly within us all ways and always. All that is necessary is for us to rest our wandering minds here to see all disparaging ideas fade away like mists before the sun. And here, in Trusting all that is perfect to remain perfect, we find our everlasting comfort and Truth. This IS Love without end.

LOVE YOU!!!