Day 16: Be Thankful for Your Glass

Welcome back to the 31 Days to Hallway Praise challenge!  Let's jump into Day 16.

"Is the glass half full or half empty?"

We've probably all been asked this at one point or another.  This question is supposed to help people determine whether they're optimists (those who see the glass half full) or pessimists (those who see it half empty).  I'm sure the person who first created this line of thinking hoped to encourage people to take a positive outlook on life.

Personally, I'm almost always a glass-half-full kinda gal, at least at first.  When storms hit my life, I try to take a positive approach.  But if a hallway ends up being long and drawn out, I notice that I begin to wander into a more pessimistic mindset.

In fact, sometimes it seems that the glass isn't half full OR half empty; it's all I can do to be thankful that I even have a glass at all!

Have you ever found yourself in a similar position?  Maybe you're there right now as you're reading this post.  Or perhaps you've gone even further and are starting to wonder if you even have a glass.

I can promise you:  no matter what you're experiencing or what you've already gone through, if you are alive, if you have been saved by grace, if you have a personal relationship with your Heavenly Father, you definitely have a glass.  And it's overflowing.

Maybe your marriage is in shambles.  Maybe you're broken over a wayward a child.  Maybe you've lost a child.  Maybe you're in a season of depression.  Maybe you've just been diagnosed with cancer.  But no matter how bad your Earthly circumstances are, you have a Father in Heaven Who loved you so greatly that He sent His Son to die in your place.  Compared to that rich blessing, everything else is a "momentary and light affliction" (see 2 Corinthians 4:17).

I don't mean to joke about serious trials.  Many of us are facing grave circumstances.  I know.  Sitting in an exam room, listening to the on-call doctor telling you that your child has a life-threatening complication of a terrible,  life-long disease, all the while knowing your husband is about to get laid off and that you have an insurmountable medical deductible to pay, it's pretty hard to be thankful for your glass - full, empty, or otherwise.

But dear friends, even in the most dire of circumstances, we need to fix our eyes on Jesus.  We need to continue praying.  We need the support and encouragement of the church body.  We need to be reminded of all our spiritual blessings.  Those don't go away with suffering; rather, suffering often enhances them.  That's one of the great ironies of the Christian faith.

Maybe you're not currently in a season of waiting or hardship.  How can you be a blessing to those believers around you who are?  You can help them to be thankful for what Christ has done on their behalf.  You can remind them to trust in God's goodness whether or not they can see it at the moment.

You can remind them that they have a glass, and it's called Eternal Life.

Today's action steps:  Read through your gratitude journal.  Remind yourself of all the "glasses" the Lord has given you, especially the gift of Eternal Life.  And be thankful for your glass.