It was the holiday of lifetime – visiting Florence was just wonderful!

Laurel and I felt we had walked just about every street of this majestic city. Indeed, we became totally absorbed in this place of beauty and culture. But time was short and it was a struggle to see everything.

To our dismay the famous Uffizi Gallery was closed. However we were able to visit the glorious Galleria dell’Academia and the lovely Convent of San Marco. And to our amazement we simply “happened” across the Palazzo Strozzi where an exhibition of modern religious art was on display. Here we were treated to the compelling works of artists including Van Gogh, Chagall and Fontana – just amazing!

My wife, Laurel, was in her “element”. But each evening we would sigh at the thought of what we may have missed. At the conclusion of the day we would languish at the possibility we had either had missed something or overlooked yet another magnificent piece of art.

And with this in mind I kept to saying to my wife….. “don’t fret, don’t be dismayed…..it’s not what we have missed that matters. What counts is what we have seen. For everything is a bonus. Every piece of art we have gazed at is a plus. Indeed everything we experience in life is a gift.”

So, rather than concentrating on what we have not seen, rather than fretting over what we have missed out on, it’s far better to revel in the things that are there. It makes more sense to celebrate the gifts we have received!

This is a “half glass full” approach to life. And such an approach takes us straight into Advent and our preparations for Christmas.

For this time of the year is all about what God is doing. This festive period is all about celebrating the gifts God has bestowed upon us. And the marvellous thing about Advent is that this “half glass full” will one day become the cup that “runneth over” as God’s promise of abundant life will be fulfilled in the coming of Jesus.

Four days in Florence seems such a short time. But what a wonderful few days they were!

It’s what’s there, it’s what God gives and it’s what God offers that is important. Everything else doesn’t really matter.

John Barr