Morning Inspiration with Pastor Merritt
Many years ago Sir William Osler, a renowned Canadian doctor, gave a speech to the students of Yale University on how to make the most of life. He told the story of going aboard an ocean liner and he was visiting with the ship’s captain when a loud, piercing alarm sounded followed by this strange grinding and crashing sound below the deck.
The captain said, “Those are our water-tight compartments closing. It is an important part of our safety drill. In case of real trouble water leaking into one compartment won’t affect the rest of the ship. Even if we were to collide with an iceberg, the way the Titanic did, water rushing in will fill only that particular ruptured compartment. It cannot get to the rest of the ship.” Taking that as an illustration, this is what Osler said to those students.
“Each one of you is certainly a much more marvelous organization than that great liner and bound on a far longer voyage. What I urge is that you learn to master your life by living each day in a day tight compartment and this will certainly ensure your safety throughout your entire journey of life. Touch a button and hear at every level of your life the iron door shutting out the past – the dead yesterdays. Touch another and shut off with a metal curtain the future – the unborn tomorrows. Then you will be safe for today.
Do not think of the amount you have to accomplish, the difficulties you have to overcome, but set earnestly at the little task near your elbow letting that be sufficient for the day. For surely our plain duty is not to see what lies dimly at a distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand."
In other words, just what Jesus said, “Look one way at a time and live one day at a time."
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