The Inner Life

“MOTHER,” said Colombe one day, “you tell me that we are all a part of God, and that He makes us do everything. But in our automobile story you said that I am a soul driving my body-automobile. At other times you talk about my mind doing the driving. Now is my mind, soul, Higher Self, and God all the same thing?”

“Well,” answered Mother, “In one way they are and in another way they are not. If we pretended that you were God, we could then call your arm the Higher Self, your hand the soul, the fingers your mind, and the gloves, which you put on and off, your body. They are all YOU, and part of the same thing, aren’t they?—except for the gloves, which you can use or not as you wish? But you still look puzzled so let us make a live doll to help you understand.”

“A live doll!” cried Colombe. “Are you joking, Mother?”

“Indeed I’m not!” answered Mother. “We’ll each make a really live doll for ourselves. Now first let us each get one of our gloves, spread it out on a piece of paper, and trace all around it, except for the thumb, which we will not need. See, we now have a pattern for our doll’s body. Pick out from my scrap-bag the color cloth which you would like your doll’s body to be made of, fold it once, pin your pattern on it and cut, being sure to allow enough cloth around your pattern for seams in sewing.”

“I’m going to make a pretty red one, Mother,” said Colombe in glee. “I like red better than that dark blue one you are making. There! Mine is all cut! Now what shall I do?”

Holding up a piece of paper, Mother answered, “Do you see the sideview of the doll’s head that I have drawn? You draw one about as big as your fist for your doll, pin it on two pieces of pink, tan, or orange cloth and cut around it (again allowing for seams), while I sew our dolls’ bodies on the sewing machine.”

While Mother sewed, Colombe drew a funny little face with a big hump nose and sharp little chin. “I can hardly wait to see him finished, Mother,” she laughed.

And what a queer little fellow he was when his face and neck had been sewed up (except for a thumb-hole in the back of his head), his head stuffed, cheeks pinked, buttony eyes sewn in, and little red mouth embroidered. A jaunty little cap was sewed on his head just above the open thumb-hole, and little black nostrils sewed in his nose.

“But why isn’t his body stuffed and his head all sewn up, Mother?” asked Colombe. “What use is that big hole in his poor little head?”

“You will soon see!” smiled Mother as she sewed the stuffed head onto the front of its limp little glove-like body, leaving the back open. As a finishing touch Mother added hands and feet, and then held the dolls up for the little girl’s admiration.

“Oh, Mother! Aren’t they darling!” exclaimed Colombe in delight. “But I can’t see that they are one bit more alive than are any of my other dolls!”

“Of course they aren’t alive—yet,” answered Mother, “and neither would your body be alive were your soul not in it. We must make them alive just as God is making us alive. Now, pretending that YOU are God, we will also pretend that your arm is God’s Son, your Higher or Christ Self; your hand is your soul, and its fingers the mind. Alright! See! A living soul is about to be born! Push your hand into the doll, with your fore finger in one arm, your two middle fingers in the legs, and your little finger in the other arm, leaving out the thumb to place in the hole in back of his head. Now move your hand and the doll will come to life!”

As Colombe obeyed her Mother’s instructions she was surprised at the change in her doll. It actually did seem to come to life! It would nod its head as she wiggled her thumb, hobble along as she moved her two middle fingers, clap its hands as she brought her outer fingers together, scratch its nose or chin, and act just like a human being.

“Oh, Mother, isn’t he cute? I just love him! He really acts alive, doesn’t he? But of course he isn’t, ’cause it’s just my hand making him go!”

“He is as much alive as you are, Colombe. It is just one of God’s ‘hands’ making you go!” answered Mother.

“Oh! God must have lots of hands then,” laughed Colombe, “because there’s lots of people for Him to make go.”

He has, dear, but of course His ‘hands’ are somewhat different from yours. They are more like thoughts or rays of Light.”

“How lovely, Mother! It makes me feel good to know that God really is in me and that when I think I’m doing something, it is really God doing it! But how about when I do something wrong? Is God doing that, too?”

“God cannot do wrong, Colombe,” answered Mother. “It just looks that way to you. But don’t let that question worry you as yet, because soon we will create more live dolls and have an interesting story-game that will help you understand just how this can be. So, whenever you can, just sit very quietly, close your eyes, and look for God’s Light within you. Try to feel His Finger of Light, which is your mind, and then His Hand of Light, which is your Soul; and, if possible, try to get way up into His Arm of Light, your Christ or Higher Self. Then you will really know you are a part of God, and will learn many wonderful things.”

Questions:

1. Do you think that God made us from a pattern, too?

2. What made the doll alive?

3. What makes us alive?

4. Did you have more trouble making your doll than your Mother (or Leader, etc.)? Why? Because her fingers had more practice than yours?

5. Do you suppose that some people’s mind-fingers can make better bodies for themselves than can others, because they have had more practice? Is that why some bodies are not as nice and big and healthy as others?

6. When a baby is born what happens? Illustrate this with your live doll.

7. When a person seems to be dead what really has happened? Also illustrate this with your live doll.

8. Do you think the soul and mind which left the useless body will the next time make for itself another and better body?

9. Have you ever felt God’s Love-Light within you? Tell about it.

10. What is your mind like? (One of God’s Fingers) Your Soul? Your Higher or Christ-self? Have you ever felt them when you became very, very quiet?

11. If the Real You is like one of God’s Hands, wouldn’t His Love-Life run through all of Him, as does the blood in your body run through all of you? Would that connect you up with all other people? How?

12. Since the same Life is flowing through everyone, could you then shut your eyes, “ride” on this Love-Life, and allow the Real You to visit anyone you wished? Could you visit birds, trees, animals, and other things, too? How?

13. Have you ever tried this? How did it feel?