Edgar Cayce Readings, 3161-1

Time and Place: 11:15 to 11:35 A. M. Eastern War Time. ..., N.J.

TEXT

GC: You will have before you the entity, [3161], at home, ..., New Jersey, who seeks a Mental & Spiritual reading with information, advice and guidance as to how she may best carry on, especially concerning the problem of keeping fit - for the job of the care and happiness of her invalid husband, which she has been doing the last eight years, mostly alone. You will answer the questions she submits, as I ask them.
EC: Yes, we have the body, the inquiring mind, [3161].
In giving advice or counsel as to the mental and spiritual attitude of this entity, it is well that there be indicated the premise from which such advice would be drawn. As to whether these are passive ideas or ideals to the entity must be considered and chosen within self. But these are indicated as the needs that we find in this individual experience for this entity:
That primarily needed is patience, persistence and consistence.
Then we would define for the entity what we mean by the entity having patience - in an active, positive manner and not merely as a passive thing.
Taking or enduring hardships, or censure, or idiosyncrasies of others, is not necessarily patience at all. It may become merely that of being a drudge not only to self but an outlet of expression from others that may never be quite satisfying because there is no resistance.
Passive patience, to be sure, has its place; but consider patience rather from the precepts of God's relationship to man: love unbounded is patience. Love manifested is patience. Endurance at times is patience, consistence ever is patience.
What then is needed? What is most desirable in the experience of the entity? The special problem asked concerning may include each or all of these and yet may become a hardship, unless there is first the recognition within self by the entity that in patience ye may become aware of your own soul.
Time, space, and patience, then, are those channels through which man as a finite mind may become aware of the infinite.
For each phase of time, each phase of space, is dependent as one atom upon another. And there is no vacuum, for this, as may be indicated in the universe, is an impossibility with God. Then there is no time, there is no space, when patience becomes manifested in love.
There are the needs for this entity's exercising patience, in the care, in the maintaining of the proper equilibrium, the proper relationship, with the problem of the mate in the present. Know, as He has given, in whatsoever state you find yourself, it is by the grace of God; and there is an opportunity, there is a lesson to be gained from same in the light of the universal law of God - inasmuch as, and in the same manner you treat your fellowman, you treat your problem, you treat your loved ones, you treat your enemy, you are doing unto your Maker.
For he, too, is a part in time, in space, of that influence you worship as the God-self, as the Creator, as the Maker of heaven and earth.
Thus each day, each hour, may carry its own problem within self. For as He said, "Day unto day uttereth speech, night unto night showeth knowledge." Of what? Of how any soul, thy soul, thyself, may manifest appreciation, love, patience, with others and with those problems and conditions about self. Thus you may show thy love for thy Maker.
To be a channel of blessing to others is that purpose for which each soul has come into conscious activity in a material world.
Thus as you exercise these in relationship to the problems, you become strengthened to meet - physically, mentally, spiritually - those purposes He has given as to thy way of life in this material experience.
Self in the physical grows weary, because you are only human, because you are finite; you have a beginning, you have an end of your patience, your love, your hope, your fear, your desire. These are to be considered also; not as unto self, but when these problems arise know, as He has given, you cannot walk the whole way alone, but He has promised in the Christ-Consciousness to give you strength, to give you life and that more abundant. What, then, is life? God, in power, in might, in the awareness of the strength needed to meet every problem day by day.
Know it is in the little things, not by thunderous applause, not by the ringing of bells, nor the blowing of whistles, that the Son of Man comes - humble, gently, kind, meek, lowly - for "He that is the greatest among you serveth all."
This is the attitude.
Yes, it is well that others in the home, others of the connections and associations, have their share also. Ask them, that they assist in the problems, even as He asks that you open the door of your heart, that He may enter, to give them the opportunity also for a part of the service.
These are the manners, the ways. For as He has given, "In my Father's house are many mansions."
In the problems with the daily tasks, the daily obligations, there are many opportunities - and thus in His house. For thy body is indeed the temple of the living God, and there He has promised to meet thee. He has said, "If ye call, I will hear - and will answer speedily."
Let thine own conscience then bear witness with those activities of the day, that ye do walk and talk oft in prayer to thy Lord and Master, thy Brother, who has given thee a share in the glory of the Kingdom of God, by thy merely being patient and kind to others who are hard to deal with at times. But in prayer, in hope, in desire, you may find in Him the help needed.
Ready for questions.
(Q) Would it be better for me to ask his sister to stay with him this winter, or would this only make his condition worse as in previous times?
(A) Be well to ask, but surround him, surround her, with the love of the Christ-Consciousness. And in thyself, in the use of such periods, manifest in thy relations with others that love ye would have shown him; not the gratifying of self's own material desires alone, but be the channel of help to someone else that you would ask his sister to be to him - and it will be beautiful for thee, helpful for her, and patience and graciousness in him.
(Q) How can I overcome my horror of noise and thunderstorms? (I was always afraid of noise, but the fear of thunder has been only in the last 15 or 20 years. If I did not have this, I could manage better.)
(A) These are a part of thy consciousness from experiences in the material plane. Surround thyself at such times with the consciousness of a walk and talk with Him, and noise and fear will be no more.
(Q) How can I become more patient and keep from losing my temper?
(A) As we have just been trying to tell you. Do it!
We are through for the present.
Copy to Self
Copy to Ass'n file

BACKGROUND

7/29/43 Questions submitted:
You will have before you the entity, [3161], at home, ..., New Jersey, who seeks a Mental & Spiritual rdg. with information, advice and guidance as to how she may best carry on, especially concerning the problem of keeping fit - for the job of the care & happiness of her invalid husband, which she has been doing the last eight years, mostly alone. You will answer the questions she submits, as I ask them:
1. Would it be better for me to ask his sister to stay with him this winter, or would this only make his condition worse, as in previous times? 2. How can I overcome my horror of noise and thunderstorms? (I was always afraid of noise, but the fear of thunder has been only in the last 15 or 20 years. If I did not have this, I could manage better.) 3. How can I become more patient and keep from losing my temper? 4. Should I continue the Amytal tablet each night as prescribed? 5. Should I continue the phenobarbital tonic? (which our doctor prescribed, as I was getting a bad intermittent pulse and fainting attacks) 6. Should the Vitamin B tonic be continued, as prescribed two years ago (when I lost weight - below one hundred pounds)? 7. Any further advice?

REPORTS

8/21/43 [3161]'s letter to EC:
"Thank you for your kind letter and for the very interesting report of my reading, which I have read with care and shall keep on studying. The main trouble about my fear of noise and thunderstorms I shall try to remedy even more than I have. I was brought up in a Christian family and have tried to practice the presence of God through a rather difficult and stormy life. I shall be able to control my temper, I know, because it is not like me to be angry at all. I was driven to it because of defending someone else in the family. I never showed any fear of noise before my sons, because I think children absorb fear from others, but when the emergency was over, I was weak and shaken. I could not have my boys grow up afraid of anything though. I believe my elder son has a fear of snakes, but he did not get that from me, for I love them and all nature.
"I shall study the reading and pray for help. This is not a stormy place - so far, only two bad thunderstorms, but when they occur, I feel like an animal that wants to creep into a hole.
"I love taking care of my husband and only suffer when he makes himself unhappy, and I can bear the separation from my family, because we sometimes telephone each other.
"I think the fear of noise must have started before I can remember, because I was born in New York in 1877 at our home in 53rd Street, then much surrounded by rock, and I suppose there was a great deal of blasting before the street was built up, and I must have seen someone afraid of it. My hearing is keen.
"I suppose the violence of temper of persons around me may have aggravated my own weakness. In any case, I am grateful to God for helping me to be brave before my sons. They both love guns and have no fear of thunderstorms.
"I note what you said about asking my sister-in-law to take over for the winter. The only thing is, I think our household would fall to pieces. My nurse and servants are lovely people. Some of them have been with us for twenty or more years, and one has retired for illness in March after fifteen and a half years. Of course, we are taking care of him. Their devotion to us and kindness in trouble is beyond praise - they are real friends.
"I shall write again, but not such a volume..."
8/24/43 EC's letter to [3161]:
"Thank you very much for yours of the 21st. I do hope that you will read over the information that was attempted, time and time again. Read it, and then lay it aside for a few days and try to forget all about it. Then read it over again. I believe in this way you will be able to get the most out of it. I feel very sure that all the suggestions for help, while I know they are nothing new to you, they are only reminding you of things that you possibly neglected to observe as closely as you might. I am sure, from the information, that you have given your boys a life of service and what you have to say about the servants indicates also that your service has not merely been lip-service, for friendship begets friendship and love begets love. For unless we manifest such in our lives, we do not expect, nor do we find those in our home to care very much for us. Do let us hear from you again and thanking you very much for your letter.
"Trusting to have been a means of a service,..."
9/14/43 [3161]'s letter to EC:
"Just a line to tell you that we are getting on pretty well, about as usual. I don't seem to feel at all differently about noises and thunderstorms, but we have had very little of either here in this lovely place, and so far have not been too worried about our sons. In fact, they are doing very well and each has had a promotion with increase in salary which is always a help to parents.
"When I consulted Dr. Worcester of Boston about noise, he asked if I had had violent people about me as a child. I had to reply that we had a relative who was of a very violent and jealous disposition, of whom we were afraid, but who considered it her right to come often to our house. Later, I had another violent relative, all perfectly sane, of course, but not of calm dispositions. Then in late years my beloved husband has been at times uncontrolled in temper. This is, I know, partly the result of his illness, for he has naturally a joyous disposition, and we have had many happy times together. He has been most kind, too, about my fear of noise, having suffered himself from various nervous phobias, off and on. But my fear of noisy thunderstorms is fairly recent, only ten or fifteen years. In looking back I do not remember them at all through my childhood and young womanhood. I suppose the question of shock is important, and I have had a good many shocks in the last ten years. Dr. Worcester told me that just having a violent and selfish person about me as a child would be enough to make my fear persist. He felt that otherwise, a childish fear like that would have vanished as I grew up.
"However, since receiving your kind letters and having my reading, I find myself increasingly well and cheerful, and while I miss my sisters who live at a distance, we write and sometimes telephone.
"Sometime I shall write about another psychologist whom I consulted..."
9/20/43 EC's letter to [3161]:
"Thank you for yours of the 14th. I do hope that you will keep up the suggestions of every nature that were made for you and that you will continue to be on the improve. Of course, most of the fears are controlled through our own mental selves and our trust in the Divine.
"I trust, too, that your husband will continue to be on the improve and that it will be much easier for you..."
2/19/44 [3161]'s letter:
"Thank you for your kind letter. My reading was in August, 1943, and I am glad that my membership extends until August, 1944, as you say that is the new regulation.
"I do not expect to renew my membership after that, as sudden and heavy expenses have come upon us. Please thank Mr. Cayce for his kind letters which have been of great help..."