Waiting and Uncertainty

This morning I reflect on waiting and uncertainty and how both can feel like quiet teachers. Waiting is not empty. It is practice. It is the slow strengthening of patience. And uncertainty is not punishment. It is the reminder that something is forming, something is developing, something is coming into view even if the details are still hidden.

While we wait, it is easy to slip into the mindset of what is missing. It is easy to focus on the gap instead of the gift. When our eyes drift to what we lack, the waiting becomes heavy and defeating. But when we bring our awareness back to what is right, what is present, and what is working in our favor, the waiting becomes peaceful. It becomes a place where we create love, serve others, contribute, and connect.

Every day we get to choose our perspective. We can look at what is wrong or we can look at what is right. We can focus on what is missing or we can focus on what we have. Our health. Our family. Our faith. Our hope. Our love. Gratitude shapes our attitude and our attitude shapes our life.

I think about the lesson I taught Bella when she was young. The glass of water sitting halfway in the middle. Some people see what is missing. They dwell on the empty space. Others see what is present. They celebrate what is still there. The water has not run dry. And the difference between those two vantage points is the difference between a life rooted in lack and a life rooted in abundance.

We cannot control the world around us but we can absolutely control what is inside of us. I can choose how grateful I am. I can choose how I treat others. I can choose the effort I give. And above all, I can choose my attitude.

Uncertain times reveal our perception. Do I look through the lens of lack or the lens of abundance. Do I see what is gone or do I see what is still here. Most of what we are grateful for today could be gone tomorrow. And most of what we complain about today might be exactly what someone else is praying for.

This morning I choose gratitude. I am grateful for my health. I am grateful for my home. I am grateful for food, clothes, warmth, family, and the gift of being alive. I am grateful for my faith and my relationship with God. Gratitude is the attitude that carries us through every season, especially the uncertain ones.