Sealeth

Temporarily confined to bed after some minor surgery, I had no choice but to flip through the channels.  I finished reading my novel, skimmed through all of my magazines, and harassed everyone I knew through texts.  My hub and the squirts were at the local water park, so I was hoping I'd score and find Lidia's Italy on PBS, one of my favorites.

Instead, what I found was an older gentleman wearing a Touring Cap speaking in front of an audience.  The sign behind him had the word "Wishes" on it, but I couldn't make out the rest.

By the time I tuned in, he was talking about the fifth and most important "wish" on his list, and he used Job 33:15-18 KJV to reinforce his point:

In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon [wo]men, in slumberings upon the bed;  Then he openeth the ears of [wo]men, and sealeth their instruction, That he may withdraw [wo]man, from his purpose, and hide pride from [wo]man.  He keepeth back . . . [her] soul from the pit, and . . . [her] life from perishing by the sword.

The man explained how to use that transition time between wakefulness and sleep in our favor.  Instead of focusing on the hurts of the day, the troubles of the world, or negative body imagery, for example, we should, instead, focus on where we want to be as long as it feels natural . . .  "I am content.  I am healthy.  I am blessed," so that God may "sealeth . . . [our] instruction."

This concept is not a novel idea.  Years ago after having read, Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach, at the author's encouragement, I logged a journal each night of five blessings of the day for which I was thankful.  Ann VosKamp's 1000 Gifts, in the same manner, urges readers to log throughout the day until a minimal goal of 1000 is eventually reached with the end result being a habit formed so that the reader will continue recording without limits.

What was interesting to me was that I had never read this verse from Job in the King James Version;  the versions I keep handy are the Good News and the New International Version.  A self-described logophile, I was taken by "sealeth."  Instead of encapsulating negativity into my subconscious, why not go for the gold in terms of positive thinking?  So, tonight while I'm adjusting my CPAP mask and allowing my melatonin VitaMelts to dissolve in my mouth, I will attempt to do just that . . . 

Courtney Winkler