Posted May 17, 2013

By Rev. Sherri Rothenberger

I’ve been studying A.C.I.M for close to 20 years now.  In March 2013 I became ordained after completing three years of study in the ministry program through MiraclesOne.

As my ordination approached I was filled with gratitude for all the people and experiences that led up to this moment.  Looking back I could see so clearly that I was being led.  That all things truly do work together for our good.

In hindsight I could see how perfectly one thing led to the other, how there had been guidance all along the path.  I began to wonder how long this guidance had been going on.  Had it been there all of my life, unnoticed?  Is this true for everyone?  Is the Voice for God always calling to us just waiting for our recognition?

I got a glimpse into this a couple of weeks ago with my son Elijah who just turned seventeen.  Elijah is a self-described atheist whose views on religion and spirituality are that it’s fro-fro stuff that people believe in in-order to comfort themselves and make life seem less random.

Though I try not to worry about his views or take them too personally, I sometimes feel responsible for his lack of faith and connection to a higher power.  I wonder if my unconventional path has adversely shaped his outlook.

Whenever I find myself worrying about his future happiness I remember to turn to Holy Spirit for guidance.  I am always reminded that “God’s got Elijah,” I need do nothing but relax and trust.

Back to a couple of weeks ago, Elijah came in and said he wanted me to listen to a new song by Twenty One Pilots.  (I had asked him about it earlier in the week when I thought I’d heard something in the lyrics that caught my attention.)  He pulled it up on YouTube so I could see the lyrics while I listened.

“Fight it, take the pain, ignite it/ Tie a noose around your mind loose enough to breath fine and tie it/ To a tree, tell it, “You belong to me/ This ain’t a noose, this is a leash/ and I have news for you, you must obey me.” …Entertain my faith.”

And there it was, the stepping stone ideas of beginning Course concepts, the same type of thoughts that opened me up to be ready for my path.

A few days latter it happened again.  This time he wanted me to check out some funny video called Bald Guy where a guy’s playing the guitar and singing about going bald while his friend shave the last of his hair off.  Kids!  Actually it was funny. He sings; “If it’s balding I am than it’s a bald guy I am gonna be.  I can’t change how I look, but I can change how I look at it.”  And there it is again.  “Seek not to change the world but choose instead to change your mind about the world.”

Yep, God’s got Elijah and He is entertaining his faith!  The Course teaches that the Holy Spirit meets us right where we are.  Elijah’s two favorite things are music and comedy, and right there, in what he loves, he is being led.

So now it’s my turn to remember - Seek not to change your son, but choose instead to change your mind about your son. 

Email Rev. Sherri: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  

Note: Our ministerial program no longer takes exactly 3 years as all students now go at their own pace. Some will take longer, some shorter. It is up to you and the time you have to devote in your personal schedule. Please see more information at about the program here.

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