And Give Me Yesterday

Some three centuries ago Thomas Browne said: “There is another man within me that’s angry with me.”¹ This is descriptive of the uneasiness of those who fail to find peace inside themselves. Peace of mind is so earnestly wished for, sometimes desperately so. And what is it within us that is angry with us? The cause is variable, of course, but in some way or other it would generally be running against the light of life: failing to live as we know; disharmony with others. Sometimes with ourselves; failing to have a quiet conscience, sometimes from not doing what we should and could be doing⎯and sometimes deliberately misdoing. This brings to mind a sentence of Elbert Hubbard who said “Men are punished by their sins, and not for them.”² This is a universe of law and order. Nature observes law. The spheres and planets move majestically in their times and seasons. If we want specific results in the physical world, we have to observe law, as scientists, engineers, and the makers and builders of things have long since learned. And why should man, physically, spiritually, mentally, morally so complex and sensitive, feel that he can run against law and still have the best of life. It simply isn’t so. When we abuse ourselves physically, when we do that which damages the sensitive mental and spiritual and moral mechanism, we pay a price, although sometimes the full price isn’t immediately apparent⎯and the tragedy is that the price we pay is beyond anything we can calculate. We remember the words of the person who pleaded: “O God! Put back Thy universe and give me yesterday.”³ But we can’t go back to yesterday. Life moves only one way. We can repent, we can improve, we can do our best to make amends, and we can find peace in wholesome, righteous purpose. But until we change wrong ways, sincerely so, in absolute honesty, there is something angry in us⎯and that isn’t a very happy way to live life. “O God! Put back Thy universe and give me yesterday.” That isn’t the way life runs. But we can live to have peace of mind, without an angry man inside ourselves.