Article February 13, 2012 Issue

A cup full of good

By Bertina Norford

Have you ever asked yourself the question, “Do I see the glass half empty or do I see it half full?” The half-empty view might be associated with a pessimistic outlook, which sees lack. The half-full view would be considered optimistic, seeing evidence of supply instead of lack.

I thought of this glass recently as I realized I want to stop dualistic thinking, seeing both good and evil as real. Instead, I am really striving to see my glass, everyone’s glass (or, you might say, “lot in life”), as totally, thoroughly, unalterably, joyfully filled to the brim with good—all good, only good. One passage I love that supports this idea is found in Mary Baker Eddy’s textbook, Science and Health. It describes man as “the compound idea of God, including all right ideas; . . .” (p. 475).

As I have been learning more about the allness of God, good, a familiar Bible story has unfolded in my thought with new meaning. It’s the story of the widow who had two sons and seemed to own little of value, who was given an opportunity to prove God’s goodness (see II Kings 4:1–7). Elisha the prophet knew that the widow already had all she needed and told her to have her sons borrow “empty vessels” from the neighbors and to use the pot of oil she had to fill the vessels. When she poured out the oil, it continued to flow. She could use the proceeds from the sale of it to pay her debt and support herself and her sons.

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