My cup runneth over...

I have a naturally cheerful disposition. In my world, even on the darkest days, I see the cup as half full and have a desire to share what I have. There are moments, we all have moments, where I have to dig deep to find something to be grateful for. When I choose to start my day thinking of how blessed I am my day just seems to go better.

It is being surrounded with people who see the world as a cup half empty that causes me the most grief. It is being confronted with individuals who not only see the dark side of life but who become possessive about preserving every last drop of what they have for themselves. Perhaps if the hold on tightly enough the world will not collapse. If they keep track of every gift given and received they will somehow win a prize at the end...at the end of what, I ask.

I believe that we have all been gifted by God in particular ways. I believe that true happiness can only be attained when we share those gifts - and others - with the world. If we are selfish with our gifts, with our talents and keep them only for our own enlightenment we are going against what God has called us to do.

Walking down a mountain pass I ran across a couple and the man was obviously in distress. He had just walked up a steep incline and was out of breath with his hand on his chest. It never occurred to me not to stop, not to see if I could be of some assistance if only to walk to the bottom of the path with him slowly and get him back into town. This does not make me a superhero. This does not make me a particularly generous person - this is what makes me human. Seeing a need or a desire in another and assessing whether or not you can fulfil it is what makes us a step above the animals - it is called compassion. I tell this story only because there were others in my hiking party who had surely passed this same scenario a few minutes before and who chose not to stop. I am desperately seeking the answer as to what the difference is.

The difference, I propose, is gratitude. The difference is the sense of being abundantly blessed and wanting to share what one has with the world. The irony is that one thing leads to the other in a circle - not a viscious circle, but a blessed circle. The more I give the more I receive. The more I receive the more I give. The more I am blessed the more I can bless others and the more I bless others the more I am blessed.

It is a particular world view that gets me through the day. I try to understand people who only see the world as a glass half empty but find it my biggest challenge. My cup runneth over and I am truly blessed.

P.S. It turns out the man was recovered enough to wait for his party to return and I only stayed on for a few minutes. God is good.