Monkey Cage at Nightfall

This afternoon, in the midst of some cyberstrolling, I discovered an article entitled "Taming the Mind Monkey." I have a pretty vivid imagination, and I immediately thought,

"Mind Monkey! That is my brain!"

How many times have I described my mind as that of a storm, or a ping-pong game, or a cacophony seriously lacking an "off" switch? I went straightway to the chapter in the book and read a little, lighting upon another phrase: "mind chatter." How very apropos . . . how very moi!

Being unfamiliar with the author and with the terms, I just assumed she had coined the phrases. Not so. The phrase "mind monkey" or "monkey mind" comes from Chinese and Japanese words that mean "heart-/mind-monkey" and the phrase is defined as "unsettled; restless; capricious; whimsical; fanciful; inconstant; confused; indecisive; uncontrollable." Now, when I feel like my mind is "monkin' around" (to borrow some Jungle Book movie lyrics), not all of that definition would apply, but "unsettled" and "restless" would be pretty accurate.

C. H. Spurgeon, in his sermon "The Peculiar Sleep of the Beloved," describes the inability to sleep this way: "You imagine if you fix your mind upon a certain subject until it shall engross your attention, you will then sleep; but you find yourself unable to do so. Ten thousand things drive through your brain as if the whole earth were agitated before you. You see all things you ever beheld dancing in a wild phantasmagoria before your eyes. You close your eyes, but still you see; and there be things in your ear, and head, and brain, which will not let you sleep." (Phantasmagoria* -- now that's a new one for this logophile!)

What a comfort it is to know that there is One who can give sleep to those He loves,

"…for so He gives His beloved sleep."

~Psalm 127:2

that restlessness is not forever, that my very soul can find rest in Him.

"Come to Me, all you who labor

and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

~Matthew 11:28

Before I close, I will let Mr. Spurgeon give you the entire introduction to that sermon. It's longish, but good. Even before I let him speak, though, I would invite you to listen to Mr. Ortega as he prays in song . . .

(Please pardon the 10 second wait at the beginning of this.)

Jesus, King of angels, heaven's light,

Shine Your face upon this house tonight.


Let no evil come into my dreams;


Light of heaven, keep me in Your peace.

Remind me how You made dark spirits flee,

And spoke Your power to the raging sea.

And spoke Your mercy to a sinful man;


Remind me, Jesus, this is what I am.

CHORUS:


The universe is vast beyond the stars,


But You are mindful when the sparrow falls,

And mindful of the anxious thoughts

That find me, surround me, and bind me . . . .

With all my heart I love You, Sovereign Lord.


Tomorrow, let me love You even more.


And rise to speak the goodness of Your name

Until I close my eyes and sleep again.

CHORUS

Jesus, King of angels, heaven's light,


Hold my hand and keep me through this night.

~Fernando Ortega

"The sleep of the body is the gift of God. So said Homer of old, when he described it as descending from the clouds and resting on the tents of the warriors around old Troy. And so sang Virgil, when he spoke of Palinurus falling asleep upon the prow of his ship. Sleep is the gift of God.

We think that we lay our heads upon our pillows, and compose our bodies in a peaceful posture, and that, therefore we naturally and necessarily sleep. But it is not so. Sleep is the gift of God; and not a man would close his eyes, did not God put his fingers on his eyelids; did not the Almighty send a soft and balmy influence over his frame which lulled his thoughts into quiescence, making him enter into that blissful state of rest which we call sleep.

True, there be some drugs and narcotics whereby men can poison themselves well nigh to death, and then call it sleep; but the sleep of the healthy body is the gift of God. He bestows it; he rocks the cradle for us every night; he draws the curtain of darkness; he bids the sun shut up his burning eyes; and then he comes and says, "Sleep, sleep, my child; I give thee sleep."

Have you not known what it is at times to lie upon your bed and strive to slumber? and as it is said of Darius, so might it be said of you: "The king sent for his musicians, but his sleep went from him." You have attempted it, but you could not do it; it is beyond your power to procure a healthy repose. You imagine if you fix your mind upon a certain subject until it shall engross your attention, you will then sleep; but you find yourself unable to do so. Ten thousand things drive through your brain as if the whole earth were agitated before you. You see all things you ever beheld dancing in a wild phantasmagoria before your eyes. You close your eyes, but still you see; and there be things in your ear, and head, and brain, which will not let you sleep. . .

O my friends, how thankful should we be for sleep. Sleep is the best physician that I know of. Sleep hath healed more pains of wearied bones than the most eminent physicians upon earth. It is the best medicine; the choicest thing of all the names which are written in all the lists of pharmacy. . .

Ye know not, my friends, how much ye owe to God, that he gives you rest at night. If ye had sleepless nights, ye would then value the blessing. If for weeks ye lay tossing on your weary bed, ye then would thank God for this favour. But as it is the gift of God, it is a gift most precious, one that cannot be valued until it is taken away; yea, even then we cannot appreciate it as we ought."

~C.H. Spurgeon

"May the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way."

~ II Thessalonians 3:16

As my mother and her mother would say,

"Sweet dreams!"

~ End Quote

*The word originated early in the 19th century as the name of a "magic lantern" exhibition, taken from the French word, "phantasmagorie" ("image" + "assembly"). The word is defined as "a shifting scene of many elements." Pretty boring definition, if you ask me. The word sounds and feels like so much more! Go on, say it aloud. Isn't that rich?