Soul keeper

For several reasons, I’m not sleeping as well as I used to. While counting sheep has never worked for me (it’s the same as just counting, isn’t it?), finally I have learned a technique that quiets a racing mind.

The idea is to name the states in alphabetical order. It’s rote, but requires more work than picturing sheep. If you’re picking through 50 states, you can’t use your brain to worry.

It turns out that 16—almost one-third of all the states—begin with M or N, so chances are you’ll be asleep before you get to Ohio. If you make it to Wyoming, just head right back to Alabama.

I’ve done this enough that I’ve added a twist, and that is to try to think of someone I know in each state. That’s a lot of people and places, so sometimes I have to settle for a friend who’s visited there. This requires mental effort, but apparently the kind that’s soporific.

I like that Louisiana reminds me of someone I met last year at Annual Conference and Vermont reminds me of a college friend who became a Messenger editorial assistant. Some states I’ve lived in, and others are places I’ve traveled to for work or vacation. I can’t forget that there are two states that I haven’t yet visited.

Another advantage of states over sheep: The exercise causes one’s mind to dwell in different parts of our country. One’s gaze can be gentle when the map isn’t divided sharply by color or bristling with warnings about tornadoes or fires. Rather, each state is recalled by what it’s next to, either alphabetically or geographically.

The Bible has little to say about a good night’s sleep. In fact, it has much more to say about the urgency of staying awake. When should we rest, we might ask, and when should we be vigilant?

“I pray the Lord my soul to keep,” says the children’s bedtime prayer from three centuries ago. Whether we sleep or whether we are on high alert, let’s make sure our souls are guarded by the One who cares for us. “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” (Mark 8:36, NIV).