Thankful Thursday: My Bucket List ... or Lack Thereof
I think everyone knows by now what a Bucket List is. But in case you don't, a Bucket List (and that's the last time I'm honoring it with uppercase letters) is a list of things you want to do before you kick the proverbial bucket. Things you want to do, places you want to go before you die. I have a confession. Shh. Lean in close. Closer. Okay, here goes.
I don't have a bucket list.
Yep. You heard me. No bucket list. No list of amazing places to see, exciting things to do, none of that. Hard to believe, in this day and age, that someone might not have a bucket list. But here's the thing. I cling strongly to Psalm 118:24.
Today is the day the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Don't get me wrong. There are a lot of things I'd love to see, places I'd love to go, people I'd love to meet. And I've seen some amazing things, both man-made and created by God. I've seen the Golden Gate Bridge recently. I've seen the Marfa lights. I've seen mile after mile of green fields in the farmland of Pennsylvania, an oddly lovely sight. I've been to Graceland and Underground Atlanta. I've been to the Alamo. I've stood on numerous beaches and marveled at the vast oceans.
As for people, well, I've mentioned before that I have a habit of talking to strangers. You meet some of the most interesting people that way! It's like the old Sesame Street song: These are the people in your neighborhood! (It's a good day when you can work a SS reference into your blog, isn't it?)
When thinking of a bucket list, people think in terms of regret. What will I regret not doing? But the flip side of that coin, as I see it, is what will I regret if I spend my life chasing checks on a list? Let that sink in for a minute. There are people out there who are a little obsessed with their list, and checking things off of it. But what might you be missing in your pursuit of those little check-marks?
I recently used this analogy in a workshop at a women's conference. Imagine you die. You get the opportunity to look back over your life, and you see a long calendar laid out before you, day after day. Some of the days have gifts on them. Beautiful, lovely packages, as pristine as they were when some loving Hand wrapped them. You ask, "God, why are there only gifts on some of the days?" God looks at you and says, "Oh, there were gifts for you every single day. You just didn't open some of them."
My prayer for you is that you don't miss a single one of God's gifts for you. Don't miss a rainbow, a hug from a loved one, the blessing of witnessing someone give their life to Christ, and yes, little things like fireflies. This IS the day the Lord has made ... for ME. I will rejoice and look for the gifts He has set before me this day.
I don't need a list. My bucket is already overflowing.
I don't have a bucket list.
Yep. You heard me. No bucket list. No list of amazing places to see, exciting things to do, none of that. Hard to believe, in this day and age, that someone might not have a bucket list. But here's the thing. I cling strongly to Psalm 118:24.
Today is the day the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Don't get me wrong. There are a lot of things I'd love to see, places I'd love to go, people I'd love to meet. And I've seen some amazing things, both man-made and created by God. I've seen the Golden Gate Bridge recently. I've seen the Marfa lights. I've seen mile after mile of green fields in the farmland of Pennsylvania, an oddly lovely sight. I've been to Graceland and Underground Atlanta. I've been to the Alamo. I've stood on numerous beaches and marveled at the vast oceans.
As for people, well, I've mentioned before that I have a habit of talking to strangers. You meet some of the most interesting people that way! It's like the old Sesame Street song: These are the people in your neighborhood! (It's a good day when you can work a SS reference into your blog, isn't it?)
When thinking of a bucket list, people think in terms of regret. What will I regret not doing? But the flip side of that coin, as I see it, is what will I regret if I spend my life chasing checks on a list? Let that sink in for a minute. There are people out there who are a little obsessed with their list, and checking things off of it. But what might you be missing in your pursuit of those little check-marks?
I recently used this analogy in a workshop at a women's conference. Imagine you die. You get the opportunity to look back over your life, and you see a long calendar laid out before you, day after day. Some of the days have gifts on them. Beautiful, lovely packages, as pristine as they were when some loving Hand wrapped them. You ask, "God, why are there only gifts on some of the days?" God looks at you and says, "Oh, there were gifts for you every single day. You just didn't open some of them."
My prayer for you is that you don't miss a single one of God's gifts for you. Don't miss a rainbow, a hug from a loved one, the blessing of witnessing someone give their life to Christ, and yes, little things like fireflies. This IS the day the Lord has made ... for ME. I will rejoice and look for the gifts He has set before me this day.
I don't need a list. My bucket is already overflowing.
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