*ACIM Lesson 355*

*“There is no end to all the peace and joy,

and all the miracles that I will give,

when I accept God’s Word.

Why not today?”*

I. The Core Teaching

This lesson is about the limitlessness of what is already yours in God, and the instant availability of it—“Why not today?” It gently exposes the ego’s favorite strategy: postponement. The ego says, “Yes, peace is possible… just not yet. Joy is real… but not here. Miracles are true… but not for you, not now.”

The Holy Spirit answers:

Peace is here.

Joy is now.

Miracles are natural.

And you are worthy of them as you are.

What the Ego Is Trying to Hide

1. *That peace and joy are your natural state.*

The ego depends on the belief that you are incomplete, guilty, and lacking. If you truly recognized that peace and joy are already yours, the ego would have no job. It survives by convincing you that:

• You must *earn* peace.
• You must *fix yourself* before you deserve joy.
• Miracles are rare, dramatic events, not the quiet shifts of perception that can happen in any moment.

2. *That miracles are unlimited.*

The ego thinks in scarcity:

• “If I get what I want, someone else must lose.”
• “There’s not enough love, not enough time, not enough help.”

This lesson says the opposite: there is no end to the peace, joy, and miracles you will give when you accept God’s Word.

The more you give, the more you recognize you have.

3. *That salvation is now, not in the future.*

The ego keeps salvation in the future:

• “When I heal this issue, then I’ll be peaceful.”
• “When I get that relationship, that job, that money, then I’ll relax.”

The lesson asks a simple, disarming question:

*“Why not today?”*

The ego has no honest answer. It can only offer excuses, delays, and conditions.

What the Holy Spirit Is Revealing

1. *God’s Word about you is already given.*

God’s Word is:

• You are innocent.
• You are loved.
• You are safe in Him.
• You are as He created you, not as you judge yourself.

Accepting God’s Word means letting this description of you replace your own self-concept, even if only for moments at a time.

2. *Your function is to extend what you are.*

Peace and joy are not things you get and then hoard; they are states you share. Miracles are simply expressions of love—shifts from fear to love in your mind that naturally radiate outward.

When you accept God’s Word about yourself, you naturally:

• Think more kindly.
• Speak more gently.
• Respond more patiently.

This is how miracles are given.

3. *There is no limit to how far this can go.*

“There is no end…” means:

• No end to how peaceful your mind can become.
• No end to how inclusive your love can grow.
• No end to how many situations can be reinterpreted by the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit reveals that your life can become a continuous flow of miracles—not necessarily dramatic events, but constant inner corrections from fear to love.

II. Applied to Daily Life

Let’s bring this down to very ordinary, human situations.

1. Relationships

Suppose you’re in conflict with a partner, friend, or family member. The ego says:

• “I’ll be at peace when they apologize.”
• “I’ll feel joy when they change.”
• “Miracles might happen, but not in *this* relationship.”

The Holy Spirit whispers:

• “Peace is available *now*, if you are willing to see them and yourself differently.”
• “Joy is not dependent on their behavior; it comes from your decision to join rather than separate.”
• “A miracle here is simply the decision to value love more than being right.”

*Practice in that moment:*

• Pause and say inwardly:

“There is no end to the peace and joy I can give, when I accept God’s Word. Why not today, in this conversation?”

• Ask: *“Holy Spirit, show me this person as You see them.”*
• Even if you still feel angry, your *willingness* opens the door for a miracle.

2. Work and Responsibilities

At work, you may feel burdened, stressed, or undervalued. The ego says:

• “I’ll feel peaceful when this project is over.”
• “I’ll be joyful when I get recognition or a better job.”

The Holy Spirit says:

• “Peace is not the result of a perfect schedule; it is the result of a chosen perception.”
• “Joy is not the reward for success; it is the effect of aligning with your true purpose: to extend love where you are.”

*Example:*

You’re overwhelmed by deadlines. Instead of tightening and pushing harder in fear, you pause:

• *“There is no end to the miracles I will give, when I accept God’s Word. Why not today, at this desk, with these tasks?”*
• You ask: *“Holy Spirit, help me see this work as a classroom for peace. Show me how to bring kindness, patience, and honesty here.”*

Your outer tasks may not change immediately, but your inner teacher changes—from ego to Holy Spirit. That is the miracle.

3. Illness and Physical Pain

Illness can make this lesson feel unrealistic. The ego says:

• “How can I talk about peace and joy when my body is hurting?”
• “Miracles would mean instant physical healing, and that’s not happening.”

The Holy Spirit gently offers:

• “Your peace is not in the body; it is in the mind that chooses which teacher to listen to.”
• “A miracle here may not be a physical cure, but a deep release of fear, guilt, and isolation.”

*In illness, you might say:*

• *“Holy Spirit, I am willing to experience the peace that is not of this world, even in this condition.”*
• *“Let me accept God’s Word that I am still His Son, untouched in truth, and let that be my comfort now.”*

This doesn’t deny the body’s experience; it places it in a larger context where you are not only a body.

4. Anxiety and Daily Stress

When anxiety rises—about money, safety, the future—the ego says:

• “You are alone.”
• “You must figure this out by yourself.”
• “You are vulnerable and at risk.”

The Holy Spirit says:

• “You are never alone.”
• “You are carried by a Love that knows your needs and answers them in the best way for your awakening.”
• “Your real safety lies in your union with God, not in external conditions.”

*In a moment of anxiety:*

• Pause and breathe.
• Say slowly:

“There is no end to the peace and joy, and all the miracles that I will give, when I accept God’s Word. Why not today?”

• Ask: *“What if I am actually safe in God right now, even if my feelings haven’t caught up yet?”*
• Let the question soften the panic, even a little. That softening is already a miracle.

III. Overcoming Resistance

This lesson can stir resistance because it directly challenges the ego’s timeline and identity.

1. “I Don’t Feel Worthy”

You might think:

• “I’ve made too many mistakes.”
• “I’m not spiritual enough.”
• “I’m not ready for that much peace or joy.”

The Course would answer:

• Your worthiness is not based on your behavior; it is based on your creation.
• God’s Word about you is not “conditionally innocent”; it is *eternally innocent*.

Your resistance is understandable; you have been taught the opposite all your life. Be gentle with yourself. You are not asked to force belief—only to be willing to let God’s Word be truer than your self-judgment.

2. Fear of Letting Go of Suffering

Strangely, we can be attached to our suffering. It feels familiar, and the ego says:

• “If you let go of this pain, who will you be?”
• “If you stop suffering, you might lose your identity, your story, your specialness.”

The Holy Spirit responds:

• “You will not lose yourself; you will find your Self.”
• “You will not lose meaning; you will discover real meaning.”

If this feels scary, you can pray:

• *“Holy Spirit, I am afraid of too much happiness. I am afraid of too much peace. Help me accept only as much as I can today, and gently expand my capacity.”*

Honesty about your fear is itself a step toward healing.

3. “It Feels Too Big, Too Absolute”

“No end to peace, joy, and miracles” can sound overwhelming or unrealistic. Remember:

You are not asked to experience the full magnitude at once. You are asked to take one step:

• One moment of choosing peace instead of attack.
• One moment of asking for guidance instead of assuming you know.
• One moment of saying, “Why not today?” instead of “Maybe later.”

Each small willingness opens the door to more.

IV. Today’s Practice

Here is a simple way to practice Lesson 355 throughout the day.

1. Morning Quiet Time (5–15 minutes)

1. Sit quietly and close your eyes.

2. Slowly repeat the idea:

*“There is no end to all the peace and joy,

and all the miracles that I will give,

when I accept God’s Word.

Why not today?”*

3. Let the words sink in. Don’t force understanding. Just let them wash over you.

4. Then say inwardly:

• *“Father, I am willing to accept Your Word about me today.”*
• *“Holy Spirit, show me where I am postponing peace, joy, and miracles. Help me say, ‘Why not today?’ instead of ‘Not yet.’”*

5. Sit in silence for a few minutes, simply being willing.

2. During the Day

Use short, frequent reminders:

• When you feel annoyed, say:

“I could give peace instead of this. Why not today?”

• When you feel sad or discouraged:

“There is no end to the joy I can give, when I accept God’s Word. Let me remember, even a little.”

• When you face a conflict or decision:

“Holy Spirit, let a miracle occur in my mind now. I am willing to see this differently.”

You don’t have to feel peaceful for the practice to be “working.” The willingness itself is the opening.

3. Evening Reflection

Before sleep:

1. Review your day gently, without judgment.

2. Notice any moments when you chose even a tiny bit more peace, kindness, or patience. Acknowledge them as miracles.

3. Where you reacted in fear or anger, simply say:

• *“I was mistaken, but not guilty. I can choose again tomorrow. There is no end to the miracles I can give.”*

4. End with:

• *“Father, thank You that Your Word about me has never changed. I rest in that.”*

V. Comparable ACIM Lessons

Several lessons echo the themes of Lesson 355:

• **Lesson 132: “I loose the world from all I thought it was.”**

Both lessons invite you to release your old interpretations and accept a new vision from the Holy Spirit.

• **Lesson 158: “Today I learn to give as I receive.”**

The idea that there is “no end” to what you give when you accept God’s Word is deeply connected to receiving and giving as one.

• **Lesson 188: “The peace of God is shining in me now.”**

This emphasizes that peace is present now, not later—very close to “Why not today?”

• **Lesson 189: “I feel the Love of God within me now.”**

Again, the insistence on now mirrors the call of Lesson 355 to stop postponing your inheritance.

• **Lesson 193: “All things are lessons God would have me learn.”**

Helps you see every situation as an opportunity to accept God’s Word and extend miracles.

VI. Closing Thought

You are not being asked to become something new today. You are being invited to remember what you already are: a giver of endless peace, joy, and miracles, because you share God’s nature.

You do not have to do this perfectly. You only need to be willing to take one step closer, one moment at a time, and to ask, gently and sincerely:

*“If this peace and joy are truly mine… why not begin to accept them today?”*