A Glass of Water.

There is beauty even on a rainy day. 

I heard somebody make comment yesterday about whether the glass was half full or half empty. I could not help but smile because I know that I had used this example at least once in each of the congregations I was a minister. I also used this as a simple example to the many classes of students I taught during my time as a teacher. 

I often expected there to be a groan from somebody who had heard me using this in another context but it did not ever seem to happen. Maybe I was just fortunate or maybe people and students were just too kind to me. 

This reminded me of the time I was studying psychology at university.

The psychologist walked around a room while teaching stress management to us students.

 As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they’d be asked the “half empty or half full” question. Instead, with a smile on her face, she inquired: ”How heavy is this glass of water?”

Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.

She replied, “The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my arm. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb and paralyzed. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn’t change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.”

She continued, “The stresses and worries in life are like that glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and they begin to hurt. And if you think about them all day long, you will feel paralysed – incapable of doing anything.”

She continued, “The stresses and worries in life are like that glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and they begin to hurt. And if you think about them all day long, you will feel paralysed – incapable of doing anything.”

How true that is and a lesson worthy of reminding ourselves of as often as we can. Do not take your stress to bed and have a stressful sleepless night. 

I used to remind my congregations that too many people came to church and left their worries and stress outside the door. Sadly they picked them up on the way back out. What they should have done was brought them into the building and left them there on the way out. 

Have a wonderful stress free day.