Half Full?

So, my dear friend Marti wrote a blog entry that spoke to me. It asked some questions that I needed to answer... questions that allowed me to regain perspective that I had temporarily lost.

Let me begin this entry by saying today was a very frustrating day at work. As the officer/staff retreat quickly approaches (Saturday!), the stress level among certain staff members has risen... a lot. As the poor copier prints thousands of pages to include in a notebook, and three women tirelessly continue to type, print, collate and repeat, I grew more and more frustrated. Without going into a lot of details, suffice it to say I witnessed a lot of waste, in many different areas. This frustrates me most because my place of employment is also my place of worship. On both counts, I want to use our resources creatively and with good stewardship in mind. I felt like we could have been better stewards in general concerning this retreat, and as I began to list all of the things I would do differently if I were in charge, I felt a bitterness swelling up. I called Duncan on my way home and immediately began complaining and proclaimed my grumpiness, just to give him fair warning.

Now you see my state of mind as I reread Miss Marti's blog entry.
"I ask you... are you a glass half full or half empty kind of person?"

I always thought of myself as a glass half full kind of gal. I try to be aware of the fact that God is always present in every situation, and there is usually some sort of silver lining. There is always something to be thankful for, or to hope in... and these are things that continually leave me feeling full, if I can just step back long enough to recognize and appreciate them.

Of course, the other half of the glass can really just suck.

BUT, as I relax cuddled up in bed with Moki sleeping at my feet and Duncan giggling at the movie he's watching in the living room, the thought of being so worked up over the silly stuff that happened at work seems very small and petty. Today I saw my glass as half empty, but all along it was very, very full. I just needed some perspective to see that.

Marti then goes on to ask:
"Most would say half full is better; it is optimistic, but what are you full of?"

Does not God fill my life completely with gracious friends who are willing to listen and encourage me, amazing family that love me in all circumstances, sweet moments in life that make all of the bad ones disappear, and the overwhelmingly full presence of His goodness, love, and grace?

All this to say, I was frustrated, but a good friend set me straight. Thanks, friend :)