A Full Glass

Glory be to God whose power, working in us,
​can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine. 
Ephesians 3:20

                                                                                                         Giving

      Still on the journey. Still on the road. Still making our way through the wilderness, Still making our way to Jerusalem.

     It's easy to be weary these days. It's easy to grow tired of what seems like the same 'ole, same 'ole. There is something exhausting about journeying on. Journeying on when we are not able to see back to where we started and not yet able to see where this path we are on will end. We are in the in-between days of Lent. Here in this middle-place, it's easy to get discouraged and restless. Mom used to call this kind of time "ouchy." I don't remember her cussing much, so she sure couldn't say "bitchy." Instead she called this "ouchy." 

     Grace comes now and again to these in-between, ouchy days, and when grace comes, I find myself surprised by joy. (Perhaps Mom is nudging me along, angeling me on…) Unexpected and surely welcome, surprised by joy. This day is no exception. When I saw this verse as I was reading, I felt joyful and grateful and un-stuck. This verse from Ephesians turns what was into what just could be. 

     So often we debate the question of the glass being half empty or half full. This verse reminds us that we have missed the point entirely. This verse speaks to the joyful proclamation that every day, every hour of every day our glass is full to overflowing. So much time is spent wondering: "Half full?" "Half empty?" So much wasted time worrying if there is enough. Almost enough? Barely enough? For this time on the journey, we are reminded that God is present with us. God is in us. God is present in our lives working toward something greater and better and full of YES. All this time, our glass isn't half anything. Instead - all along - from our first breath until our very last, our glass is full to overflowing.  Around us and within us - more than we could ever hope for or imagined.

     From this place of overflowing surely, we can stop wandering. Just for right now, we can look up and around for just a bit. Surely, we can see beyond our immediate troubles and catch a glimpse of the world around us. There is work to be done. We are called to love our neighbor, and we don’t have to look farther than our own neighborhood to find a place to start. For the young and old. For the hungry and thirsty. For those who need a kind word. We have been given such a gracious plenty. We have more than plenty from which to give, more than we could ever hope for or imagine. What better time than today to give from our abundance and share the joy?
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     Here’s to you and me and here's to the us we have been created to be!

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