Look at What You Have in Your Hand

By Victoria Osteen, Wednesday, June 29, 2011

One day a few years back, I was working in the living room while Alexandra was playing nearby. I was starting to get thirsty and didn't want to lose my place in what I was doing, so I asked Alexandra if she would get me a glass of water. She jumped up, ran into the kitchen, and came back with a glass half filled with water. She handed it to me and quickly went back to playing.

At that moment, I was expecting a full glass of water. I just looked at that glass for a moment and chuckled to myself as I thought about a simple life lesson. Life doesn't always give us what we are expecting. Many times in life, we get served "half a glass of water" or less than what we are expecting. So often, people allow those unmet expectations to become their focus which quickly turns into negative, self-defeated thinking. The good news is that we don't have to let our thoughts take that route. When things don't go our way, we get to choose how we will respond. We get to choose our perspective. Will you focus on what you didn't get, or what you did get?

Instead of getting upset about what I didn't have, I chose to be thankful for what I did have. After all, it was certainly more water than what I had a few minutes earlier!

Let me encourage you to get up every day and focus on what you do have in life. Be thankful for the blessings of the little things, even when you don't get what you expect. As you keep your mind and heart focused in the right direction, approaching each day with faith and gratitude, I believe you will be empowered to live life to the fullest and enjoy the abundant life He has promised you!

"Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 5:18, NIV).