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.

The mind is a fascinating thing. At any given moment, our brains are processing an almost incomprehensible number of signals, interpreting information from our bodies and our surroundings, anticipating what might happen next, remembering what has happened before, and trying to protect us. We often don’t even notice most of it. We touch something hot and instinctively pull away. We step awkwardly and our body responds before we have time to think. We experience pain and our brain tells us something is wrong.

Our nervous systems were designed to protect us. But what happens when the very system designed to protect you begins to misfire?

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.

Have you ever stopped to think about the people who quietly changed the direction of your life?

Not the famous people.

Not the people everyone else admires.

The ones who stepped into your life at just the right moment. The ones who probably had no idea that the ordinary things they did would echo through the rest of your life.

Have you ever found yourself in church, listening to a sermon, and your thoughts drift away? I am sure we have all been there — writing notes to stay focused, fidgeting to calm nerves, or perhaps struggling to stay awake due to a lack of sleep. That is where I found myself on this Sunday, and adding to my distraction were thoughts of a recent discussion with my physician. I have Rheumatoid Arthritis so am no stranger to difficult medical conversations, but discussing the future need for a knee replacement at age 47 had been a shock and was weighing on my mind.