Imagination Gone Amok

I rarely have trouble falling asleep at night. Usually, I read five or six pages of a novel, turn out the light, say my prayers and go to sleep within minutes.

 

On the rare occasion I cannot drop off, I silently recite a few Bible verses or the lyrics to a hymn, and drift into dreamland.

 

A few weeks ago, after praying, my thoughts ran rampant in my head and I could not nod off. I switched position and recited a few more verses. No luck.

 

Then imagination took over. I had always heard of counting sheep jumping over a fence as a sleep inducement, but had never tried it. Hmm. I wonder if it works.

 

I closed my eyes and imagined a little wooly white lamb jumping over a low fence and running off. A second little sheep followed—three—four…ten, eleven… twelve.  The next lamb had a red face.

 

I opened my eyes and frowned, rolled over on my side and tried again. Two more little red-faces leaped over and disappeared. I settled more comfortable. Then, the next lamb had a lime green face, then a sky blue one, a neon yellow one. I smiled. This was fun.

 

To my surprise, the following two had normal white face. Then, in quick order: a lamb with pink polka-dotted wool, one with purple stripes, followed by one with green and blue plaid wool.

 

I sat up in bed and rubbed my eyes. What next? I wondered.

 

I decided to go downstairs and have a cup of hot milk. I had never tried that either, but how could my imagination possibly mess up a cup of milk?