Gaining Emotional Poise
“Most of us think of ourselves as standing wearily and helplessly at the centre of a circle bristling with tasks, burdens, problems, annoyances and responsibilities which are rushing in upon us. At every moment we have a dozen different things to do, a dozen problems to solve, a dozen strains to endure. We see ourselves as overdriven, overburdened, overtired.
This is a common mental picture—and it is totally false. No one of us, however crowded his life, has such an existence.
What is the true picture of your life? Imagine that there is an hourglass on your desk. Connecting the bowl at the top with the bowl at the bottom is a tube so thin that only one grain of sand can pass through it at a time.
That is the true picture of your life even on a super-busy day. The crowded hours come to you always one moment at a time. That is the only way they can come. The day may bring many tasks, many problems, strains, but invariably they come in a single file.
You want to gain emotional poise?
Remember the hourglass, the grains of sand dropping one by one. . . . . “
Dr.Gilkey’s sermon, which he called “Gaining Emotional Poise”, apparently met an urgent and long-felt need of his congregation. Many went to him later to thank him for his message, and to tell him how much it had meant to them.
Glad that his sermon had been helpful, the minister published in in the church paper. Later in was reprinted in Best Sermons, 1944 Selection, and subsequently was quoted in the Reader’s Digest. Letters began to come to Dr.Gilkey from all parts of the world; and he was astonished to discover how many people were helped by the sermon that grew out of his own experience and philosophy, and which was originally intended only for his own congregation. He was astonished to find how far a little candle can throw its beam!
So a simple sermon lives on—-not because of any special eloquence, but because of its sincere and helpful message. The inspired analogy of the hourglass, with its grains of sand dropping one by one, has shown thousands the way to greater poise and balance. . . . . and has helped them achieve a better, more secure way of life.
James Gordon Gilkey (1889-1964) born in Massachusetts, was a teacher and chaplain at Amherst College and also was a pastor of South Congregational Church at Springfields, Massachusetts. He authored many books like What can we believe (1933), You can Master Life (1934), God will help you (1943), Gaining the Faith you need (1944)
Author: Aumtara
