Is the Glass half empty or half full?

It is 2025.  This year I will turn 65.  How is this happening?  People say “time flies when you’re having fun.”  My life has been filled with many fun moments.  Yet, why do I tend to focus on the difficult moments of my life:   my parents divorce, the financial challenges of college, being a young pastor’s wife, difficult stages of raising children, friends who betrayed me, doors that were closed, the sudden loss of my dad and John’s dad, the slow death of my mom with Alzheimer's, losing my identity as a pastor’s wife, being diagnosed with AFIB,  and the list could go on and on?   By nature I am a “glass half empty” person.  Just being honest. 

Recently I had a young woman ask me, “How have you survived ministry for forty-five years (I became a pastor’s wife at age 20) and seem to still love Jesus and ministry?”.    

I didn’t want to give her the obvious answer: “Jesus”.  Yes, it has all been Jesus!

However, there is a practice I have at the beginning of every year that enables me to throw off my “the glass is half empty” attitude and walk into every new year knowing God is truly good and will enable me to not just survive the coming year but thrive.

Every first week in January I buy a new journal.   Please don’t quit reading if you hate to journal.  Give me a minute to explain.  My journals are not for writing down all my feelings, emotions, hopes and dreams.  Nothing wrong with that.   My yearly journal, however,  is an intentional tool I use to pray.  In this tech savvy world, one could use their phone.   

I write down the name of every immediate family member and specific things I am praying for them.  Also, there is  a page where I write down names of people who I am praying either come to know Christ or  renew their relationship with Christ.  In addition, there is a page dedicated to praying for missionaries and their families.    Finally, there is a section in which I record specific requests and then I note when I see God at work in that person’s life or in that circumstance.

How does this practice turn my heart into the “glass is half-full” instead of “half-empty.”?

Every year I go back and see all God has done.  Sometimes I even pull out old journals  and remind myself of all He has done.  If I don’t intentionally record what I am praying for, I can’t intentionally praise Him for all He has done.

In I Samuel 12, the prophet Samuel is instructing the Israelites on how they are to live now that God has given them the king they desperately wanted.  Samuel knew their tendency would be to look to newly appointed King Saul instead of looking to the One True King.

Samuel challenges them: “ Do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty.  For the Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself.  Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you, and I will instruct you in the good and the right way.  Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart.  Consider what great things he has done for you.”  I Samuel 12:21-24

As we enter 2025, let us consider all God has done in the past and choose to not turn aside to things that are empty (like the half-empty glass) and attitudes that do not advance His kingdom.     Let us walk in God-confidence knowing He will instruct us in the good and right way.  Let us serve him faithfully and intentionally pray for others so that when we see Him at work, we will turn and praise Him.