Crashing Waves.

One of the joys of living where I do is that I can have the best of both worlds. I am a short distance from some larger towns and not a great distance for the capital of Scotland Edinburgh. 

But even better I do not have to travel far to see the sea. I can walk along the coastal path and I can play a round of golf and view the sea from almost if not every hole. I love watching the crashing waves or those calm evening when the waves roll towards the shore in the moonlight. 

Whatever they are they are a constant reminder of the changing pattern of our lives. Life is not always smooth and calm and does not always roll along as we would like it.

So both as a minister and as a caring teacher, I was always looking for ways to share with others the need for strategies to face the ups and downs of daily living. 

So, of course, I often spoke about the half empty or the half-full glass. So when I one day stood in the pulpit with the glass of water I could hear the sigh and the murmurs is the glass half full or half empty?

So I caught them by surprise when I asked them to tell me how heavy they thought the glass might be.

It was different so they participated giving me answers from eight ounces to a pound.

The bottom line, of course, is that the absolute weight of the glass is irrelevant. If I hold it straight out before me for a minute it is in fact fairly light.

If I tried to hold it straight out in similar fashion for an hour my arm would start to ache.

If I tried to hold it out before me for a whole day, my arm would soon cramp up and a feeling of numbness and paralysis would force me to drop the glass to the floor.

The weight of the glass and water would remain the same, but the longer it was held the heavier it would seem.

The stresses of the crashing problems of life are just like that glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them for a lit longer and you begin to ache a little.

Think about them all day long and before the day is over you will feel paralysed and incapable of doing very much else until you drop them.

It is important to remember to let go of your stresses and worries.  No matter what happens during the day, as early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down.  

Do not carry them through the night and into the next day with you.  If you still feel the weight of yesterday’s stress, it’s a strong sign that it’s time to put the glass down.  

It does little good to lay your burdens at the door of the sanctuary only to pick them up after a time of stress-free thinking.

Have a glorious day when the waves of life roll in and you are at peace.