Thoughts 9.1.21

Lately life for me has been a tension between looking forward to tomorrow, and focusing on today. The honest truth is there are days in which we simply can’t wait for them to end. In fact lately there have been a few frequent years like this. Ready for the next one. I was checking out at a grocery store recently and asked the attendant how he was, he responded with, “great! I can’t wait for tomorrow”. Intrigued and excited I asked what tomorrow was for him, and he responded with a simple one word answer of “New.” Like my recent conjunction of feelings, this interaction left me simultaneously inspired and dejected. It was a classic case of glass half full glass half empty. They say the optimist in us will see the glass as half full while the pessimist will call it half empty. But I am learning to think our job is to see the glass as an action. As being filled. It can be both empty and full at the same time… but the direction is forward, onward, fuller. I have been thinking the same thing for my life. There are days recently in which when separated from the whole of my life could be read as glass half empty… or even as half glass full. (To be fair, we must also acknowledge these subjective views of our own life are fully responsible to our own perspective.) but the sentiment remains the same. There are days in which we may see as full and days we can see as empty. But my prayer, and my challenge for myself and my challenge for you is this: no matter the current state of fullness or emptiness you find yourself, make the action and direction towards fuller. Towards filling. Towards more of who you are and who you were created to be. We may have days that when stood alone add up to a negative outcome, but let’s not let these days define us or our perspective. Live a life in the direction of fuller. Truer. More. Saint Irenaeus penned, “the glory of God is man fully alive.” Fully alive. I believe this is done only in the pursuit of filling, and when found full throughout our lives, filling the lives of others.