1. Healing is always certain. It is impossible to let illusions be brought to truth and then to still keep the illusions. Truth demonstrates that illusions have no value. The teacher of God has seen and recognized the correction of his errors in the mind of the patient. Having accepted the Atonement for himself, he has also accepted it for the patient. Yet what if the patient uses sickness as a way of life, believing healing is the way to death? If so, a sudden healing might precipitate intense depression, and a sense of loss so deep that the patient might even try to destroy himself. If the patient thinks he has nothing to live for, he may ask for death. Healing must wait, then, for his protection.

2. Healing will always stand aside when it would be seen as a threat. Yet the instant it is welcome it is there. Where healing has been given it will be received. And what is time before the gifts of God? You have been referred many times in the text to the storehouse of treasures laid up equally for the giver and the receiver of God’s gifts. Not one treasure is lost, for they can but increase. No teacher of God should feel disappointed if he has offered healing and it does not appear to have been received. It is not up to him to judge when his gift should be accepted. Let him be certain it has been received, and trust that it will be accepted when it is recognized as a blessing and not as a curse.

3. It is not the function of God’s teachers to evaluate the outcome of their gifts, whatever the scope of the gifts. It is merely their function to give them. Once they have done that they have also given the outcome, for that is part of the gift. No one gives truly if he is concerned with the result of giving. That is a limitation on the giving itself, and neither the giver nor the receiver would then have the gift. Trust is an essential part of giving; in fact, it is the part that makes sharing possible, the part that guarantees the giver will not lose, but only gain. Who gives a gift and then remains with it, to be sure it is used as the giver deems appropriate? Such is not giving but imprisoning.

4. Therefore, it is the relinquishing of all concern about the gift that makes it truly given. And it is trust that makes true giving possible. Healing is the change of mind that the Holy Spirit in the patient’s mind is seeking for him. And it is the Holy Spirit in the mind of the giver Who gives the gift of healing to the patient. How can it be lost? How can it be ineffectual? How can it be wasted? God’s treasure house can never be empty. And if one gift is missing, it would not be full. Yet the fullness is guaranteed by God. What concern, then, can a teacher of God have about what becomes of his gifts? Given by God to God, who in this holy exchange can receive less than everything?

Notes:

Therefore, healing is always certain, and need not be repeated. To repeat healing is to signify that you thought you made a mistake the first time, which is to say that you doubted that the healing was effective. Doubt cannot be coupled with certainty.

This section shows that we may indeed choose healing for a brother (see paragraph 1, sentence 5 and paragraph 4, sentences 3, 4). In fact, choosing for a brother is important when he is showing signs of being unable or unwilling to choose well for himself. It does not lessen the “free will” of your brother, as your brother is quite able to choose when and if he will accept your gift. If the gift is of God (which the choice for healing is), then the Holy Spirit in your brother will receive the gift for him, so the gift will be there for his acceptance when he is ready. Here is where the character traits of trust and patience enter. The teacher of God must trust that the gift of healing has been received by the Holy Spirit in the patient. And the teacher of God must have patience that the gift will be accepted by the patient when it is recognized as a blessing and not a curse. So, then, step back and have no concern. Continue listening to the Holy Spirit as always, and He will tell you if there is more for you to do.

MANUAL FOR TEACHERS

6. IS HEALING CERTAIN?

RECAP

1. “Healing is always certain.” (M-6.1:1)

2. The acceptance of healing by the patient will stand aside if healing is seen as a threat and not seen as release. In this instance healing must wait -- for the protection of the patient. Yet the instant that healing is welcome it is there.

3. Where healing has been offered or given, it will be received by the Holy Spirit in the patient, and will be accepted by the patient when he is ready. Therefore, it is obvious that the patient himself is the arbiter of when the healing is accepted. The patient’s free will gives him the right to accept healing when he is ready for it. And that will be when he sees less value in sickness, and more value in healing. Healing is the change of mind that the Holy Spirit in the patient’s mind is seeking for him.

4. No teacher of God should feel disappointed if he has offered healing and it does not appear to have been received. It is not up to him to judge when his gift should be accepted. Let him be certain it has been received, and trust that it will be accepted when it is recognized as a blessing and not as a curse.

5. Once the gift of healing has been given, the outcome is also given, for that is part of the gift.

6. No one can give or receive truly if he is concerned with the result. We give and receive from Spirit and we are concerned from ego. Once the gift is given by God, let not the ego cause conflict in your mind. The two ideas (the idea of the joy of giving and receiving – or the idea of the regret of the ego causing you to want to retract the gift if it is not gratefully received or is not used for the purpose you intended or if the idea of scarcity enters) cannot both be present and still have an effective result. Choose one: the bondage of regret and second-guessing, or the release of joy! Remember, it is the relinquishing of all concern about the gift that makes it truly given and received.

7. Offer the gift, and then step back (instead of looking back) and have no concern and no regrets. Let the joy of giving surround you and stay with you. The ego would have you quickly relinquish the joy for a far less favorable reaction. Yet continue listening with an open mind to the Holy Spirit, as always, and He will tell you if there is even more for you to give. There is no end to God’s gifts to you, so there can be no end to God’s gifts to your brother through you. Remember, the joy of God giving to your brother through you is as powerful a gift to you as it is to your brother. Gifts given by God to God – who in this holy exchange can receive less than everything? Giving IS receiving.

8. God’s treasure house can never be empty.