Before the Sandman Comes
DID
you ever invite the Sandman over to see you and have him turn you down? Or have
you ever waked up in the night and found that half a dozen long, never-ending,
black hours were awaiting you before morning would come? I know you have, and I
know that sometimes you have tried that old trick of self-hypnotism of counting
the sheep as they went over the fence and found that it, too, failed; and at
last in sheer despair you have tossed and tumbled about and mentally flayed
yourself into a state of absolute fatigue. Did you know that there was a sure
and direct way leading into Slumberland? - - so easy to travel, so inviting and
interesting; strewn along the way with drowsy, nodding poppies and heavy-scented
white lilies, and ever so often a nodding little sleepy-head child and cuddled
up so comfy and securely in its mother's arms, and presently such a happy,
snuggly feeling comes to you that you let go and tumble off the cliff of dreams
into the land of forgetfulness. Let me show you that road.
When you wake, always remember that "I shall be satisfied when I
awake in Thy likeness," and what is that likeness? One of its attributes is
"Love," so we will start with that. "When I awake in Thy (Love's)
likeness I shall be satisfied." You are already awake in an atmosphere of
Love, for "In Him you live and move and have your being." Now the way
to bring this Love into your mind is to put it into use - - start loving - - and
to do this you begin forgiving. Forgive Mr. X - - that little resentment which
you hold against him, and Mrs. Blank the hurt that you received from her words.
Take them by the hand and lead them out "Through green pastures" and
"Beside still waters." Say to them, "I forgive you; I have
nothing in my heart against you - - nothing in my heart against anybody, for I
love the whole world." Such a feeling will come to you - - such a
contented, peaceful feeling, and you will be all aglow with the flame of real
Love; and finally, as you go on your way forgiving you will come to your own
poor self standing there - - that poor old dear which you have so hatefully
accused of all sorts of wrongs, of sickness, sin and death. You have fastened
all these things on it, and it needs to be forgiven, too. "Neither do I
condemn thee, go and sin no more." Now you have loosed everything, even
your own self, and no wonder you lie there and radiate and radiate love.
And so the next time the Sandman won't come to see you, you try this plan of forgiving the whole world and see if a sweeter sense of peace does not come to you than you have ever experienced before. A tired and wornout soldier boy tried this on dark night when it seemed that the enemy was pretty thick and that they were pretty near and were doing their best to keep him awake, but when he walked with them through green pastures and beside still waters, and when he "anointed their heads with the oil of forgiveness," the noise, and the unrest and fear all faded away and he went over the cliff of dreamland.