The consciousness of the hand--When it first was felt--Always
there--Now as the hand of a father--Now as that of a mother--A
lover--A brother--Always guiding--Always leading--A mystery--Some day
we will know the owner of the hand.
I have felt the Unseen Hand--have been guided by it--have felt the
kind but steady urge in the direction which it knew to be best, though
my Intellect failed to see the beauty of the road toward which the
Hand was directing me. For a time I rebelled against the impertinent
interference of that which seemed to be a thing apart from me--a
meddler--an unasked for helper. I had emerged from the dependent
state--the state in which I thought it necessary to lean upon others.
I gloried in my independence--my freedom--my ability to stand alone.
Finding that it was good to stand alone--reveling in the joy of my new
found freedom--rejoicing in the fact that the I AM within me was a
reality--feeling within me the ecstasy that comes from the recognition
of the reality of Individuality--I resented any interference from
outside. But the pressure of the hand was still here--it would take my
unwilling fingers within its own and lead me on--and lead me on.
Finding that I could not get rid of this unseen helper--realizing that
it was intent upon guiding me in spite of my repeated assertions that
I was able to take care of myself--that I was big enough to walk
alone--I began to study the Something that was so determined to take
an active part in the affairs of my life--I started in to become
acquainted with it.
I found that it had always been with me more or less, but that I had
not before recognized its presence. So long as I felt that I was not
able to stand erect upon my feet--so long as I feared--so long as I
failed to recognize the I AM--I was scarcely aware of this invisible
helper. But when I began to realize what I was--what was my place in
the Universal order of things--what were my possibilities--my
future--the presence of this unseen hand began to be manifest. When I
at length threw off the last fetter that had bound me--when I threw
back my shoulders and drew my first free breath--when I shouted aloud
with joy at my freedom and strength--when I realized the power that
was within me and at my command--when I started out to accomplish that
which my awakened mind told me was possible of attainment--when I
started to do these things _all by myself_--then I felt for the
first time the firm clasp of the unseen hand.
Now gently guiding--now leading--now kindly restraining--now giving a
gentle urge toward people, things and conditions--now drawing me back
from the edge of a precipice--now directing toward a better path--now
giving me a gentle, firm pressure to reassure me of its presence when
I doubted--now allowing me to rest my weight upon it when I felt
tired--always there.
At times this hand has placed before me conditions that seemed to me
to be anything but good. At times it has brought me pain. But I have
learned to trust it--have learned to trust it. The conditions that
have seemed to me to be undesirable have brought me to desirable
things. The pain that I have suffered has brought me pleasure. The
experiences that have come to me I would not wish to part with--the
more pain, the more experience; the more experience, the more
knowledge.
I have learned to love this hand. And the owner of the hand seems to
feel and return this love, and now and then, by a sympathetic little
clasp, lets me know that I am understood. This hand sometimes seems to
be that of a Father--strong and firm--leading on with a confident air.
Again it seems to be that of a Mother--gentle and kind--leading me as
does the mother lead her child. Again it seems as the hand of a woman
who loves me--clinging and warm--neither leading nor being led--just
moving on clasped in mine--no words--but with a perfect understanding.
The owner of this hand seems to combine within itself the qualities of
both sexes--seems to have within itself all the attributes of Father,
Mother, Lover, Brother, Sister. It seems to respond to the human need,
in every direction. It seems always the hand of Love--even while
giving me pain.
I have never seen the face of the owner of this hand. I have never
looked into its eyes. I have never seen its form, if form it has. But
I have been conscious, at times, of being lifted up in its arms and
being pressed close to its breast. I have felt the impulse of the
child, at such times, and have felt for the breast of the mother, and
have been conscious of the answering mother pressure as I was drawn up
close to the body of the owner of the hand. And, at times, have I felt
rebellious at the confining clasp, and have struggled and have even
beat against the breast with my puny fists as I insisted that I be
released from the clasping arms. But, mother-like, the owner of the
hand only drew me closer to the breast until I could feel the very
heart-throbs within the mother-body--could feel the vibrations
emanating from its life--could feel the warm breath upon my cheek as
the invisible face bent over me impelled by the mother love.
Again, it takes on the father-form, and I place my little hand within
it, and feeling like the boy whose father is taking him on a journey,
I say "Lead Thou me on," and go cheerfully and with faith into new
lands--new surroundings--new fields. Why should I fear, have I not
hold of my father's hand? And the hand at such times rests upon my
shoulder, every once in a while, and I realize that the father feels a
pride in his son, and sees him growing in strength and knowing--that
the father looks forward to a time when he will be able to talk with
the boy who will then have grown in knowledge, and will be able to
understand some of the secrets of Life that the father will then
unfold to him.
And, still again, the hand is that of the loving woman who is walking
along the path of Life with the man she loves. It is a tender
clasp--the fingers tingle with love--the arm presses close to mine. I
hear no voice--no words are needed--soul talks to soul in the silence.
We walk on and on and on. We understand.
And, still again, the hand seems that of a brother--a twin brother.
Neither the protection of the father--the loving tenderness of the
mother--the thrill of the lover's touch--is there. I feel not that the
hand is that of a stronger being--I am conscious only of the brotherly
clasp--the touch of comradeship--the presence of an equal. I feel by
my side a helper--someone who will back me up in time of need. And I
stroll along by his side and laugh with joy. The joy of the boy is
again mine. The joy of companionship is again mine. And, lo the hand
of the brother seems to grow--he and I are again men. And something in
his hand-clasp seems to say to me, "Come, brother, let us go forth
into the unknown future. Let us have Faith. There are lands awaiting
our coming. Let us enjoy them. Let us explore them. Let us be filled
with the spirit of adventure, and go forth. Let us see--let us
feel--let us know." And I return the clasp, and say, "Aye, brother,
let us go forth. Whither thou goest there will I go. Thy joys shall be
my joy--thy pain my pain. Let us go forth--let us go forth to the
Divine Adventure."
And, so, manifesting the attributes of all human relations, in turn,
and at the proper time, the owner of this unseen hand is near me. I
feel his presence--I am aware of his nearness. At times faith grows
faint, and I think it all a delusion--a phantasm--a dream. All seems
lost, and I weep. But, lo! in the midst of my despair, I feel the hand
upon my head--I know that it is a reality and, through my tears, I
smile.
Shall I ever know the owner of this hand? Shall I ever see its face?
Shall I ever understand the mystery of its existence? I know not. But
faith whispers in my ear, "Wait! All is well! When the pupil is ready
the Master appears. When your eyes have a clear vision and can bear
the sight, then shall you see the Face of the owner of the hand. You
have entered the Path and there is no turning back. Go on--go on in
Faith, Courage and Confidence. Why should you doubt--have you not felt
the pressure of The Hand?"
Aye, why should I doubt or question? Have I not felt the pressure of
the Unseen Hand? Open your hands, friends, that the Hand may clasp
yours as it has mine. While your hand is clenched in Anger and
Hate--while it clutches tight the gold it has snatched from the hand
of another--while the fingers are drawn together with Fear--it cannot
receive the Unseen Hand. Open it wide--reach it out--offer it in
friendly clasp--and you will feel within it the touch of that which
you seek.
The Unseen Hand is waiting to clasp yours. Give it welcome--give it
welcome.