For a long time, I thought one of the most encouraging things I could do for someone walking through a difficult season was to say, “I’ve been there.” When I had experienced something similar, I wanted to tell them what God had done for me. I wanted them to know how He had provided, how He had redeemed what seemed impossible to redeem, and how He had made a way when I could not see one. There is something powerful about hearing from someone who has walked through a similar hardship and can testify to the faithfulness of God. The stories shared with me by friends and family over the years have been deeply encouraging and tangible reminders of all that God has done.

It is an age-old question: Do you see the glass as half-full or half-empty?

We usually treat the answer as a reflection of personality. The person who notices what remains is called an optimist. The person who notices what is missing is called a pessimist.

But I have come to believe the question is more complicated than that.