WHEN Colombe awoke one morning and looked out of her window, everything was covered with a thick white blanket of snow.

“Oh, how lovely!” she exclaimed. “I’m going out right after breakfast and make a snow man.

While Mother was busy with her work she would now and then watch the little girl at her play. At first Colombe’s snow ball was quite small, and it gathered snow with difficulty; but the longer she pushed it the bigger it became, until soon she had a ball so large that she could hardly push it—for now, being quite heavy, it gathered snow so rapidly and grew at an alarming rate. When it was at last too large for her to move, Colombe rolled another smaller ball, and Mr. Snow Man had a head. Stones and sticks made his features and arms, and Colombe then came in all aglow from her task.

“Isn’t he a dandy?” she exclaimed.

“Indeed he is!” agreed Mother. “You did real well with him.”

Later, when Colombe had observed her Mother sitting for some time quietly in her chair with closed eyes, she asked, “Why were you in the LAND OF LIGHT for so long, Mother? It’s not yet time for the Noonday Chalice is it?”

“No,” answered her Mother, “not yet. I was just building a good strong ‘feeling picture’ or ‘thought-film’ to help Daddy get all of the expensive machinery, horses, cows, pigs, sheep, chickens, and all that he needs to start up farming.”

“How do you make a strong picture, Mother?” she again asked.

“Well,” answered Mother, “a good strong thought-picture is made very much like your snowball. The more you roll it around in your mind the bigger, stronger and heavier it gets, until it finally becomes so large that you really believe in it—and then, of course, it comes into your life. But why not sit down with me and help make a good clear thought-film for our movie-machine mind?”

“Let’s!” agreed Colombe, enthusiastically. “What do we think of first?”

“First, let’s see Daddy right out in the fields with his horses and machinery, happily working his land. Do you see how happy he looks as he drives his strong husky horses and, pausing for rest, watches his thriving flock of sheep and lambs, his nice fat pigs, and his splendid cows? And look what a wonderful flock of young chickens we have out there in their new brooder house. Do you SEE them?”

“Gracious, Mother,” laughed Colombe, “I almost do! If you keep on you will make me believe that we already have horses, sheep, cows, pigs, chickens, brooder-house, and machinery!”

“But that’s the TRUTH, Colombe!” replied her mother. “We do have them right now in the LAND OF LIGHT, and have only to put the film into our movie-machine mind and really BELIEVE IT IS SO—and they just can’t help coming to us some way or other.”

“Why do we have to believe it, Mother?” she asked.

“Because our belief opens up the place in our movie-machine mind so that God’s Light can shine through our picture held there onto the ‘world-screen’ for us to see,” was the answer.

And so day after day Colombe and Mother kept strengthening their farm-thought until, like the snowball, it got so very large, strong, and powerful, that they were sure it must soon be out- pictured in the world.

Not long afterwards Daddy came home and said, joyfully, “A way has just opened up for us to at last start farming again with all that we really need! Isn’t that great?”

And Colombe and Mother smiled into each other’s eyes with happy understanding.

Suggested Questions:

1. In what way are our thoughts like snowballs?

2. How do you make a good clear thought-film?

3. After we have made a clear vivid picture what must we then do?

4. Why must we believe in it before our picture will take form in this world?

5. See if you can remember anything which your thought- beliefs made for you.

6. How can our thoughts make things really happen in our world and lives?

7. Do you think that everything that happens to us is caused by our thoughts?

8. Why?

9. What should you do if you do not like something which happens to you?

10. What should you do to help Daddy or Mother or your friends?

11. What sort of thoughts should you put into your mind to cause those who now dislike you to change so that they love you.

12. What sort of a picture should you hold always in your mind if you want your body to be fine, strong, and healthy.

—o—

“THERE is no failure save in giving up, No real fall as long as one still tries; For seeming setbacks make the strong man wise. There’s no defeat in truth, save from within; Unless you’re beaten there, you’re bound to win.”

—Henry Austin.

← previous | The Inner Life 1938 | next →