Last weekend, Julie (a friend of my sister, Crystal) had a pre-birthday party for my sister. She is coming to a landmark birthday: The big 5-0. Her present from all of us was a trip to Boston, along with tickets to see the Patriots play on their home field. This was an item from her "Bucket List". To see the Patriots play on their home field on or near her birthday. The look of sheer joy; the tears of happiness were all the thanks we needed. You could tell this was "the best birthday present ever!" just by her reaction.
I've been mulling over what I would put on my own"Bucket List" and in what order they would be. I've been able to cross one from my list. For my 40th, my sister took me to Savannah, Georgia for a three day weekend. We stayed in a beautiful B & B called the Eliza Thompson House. We packed as much as possible into those three days, even managing a quick side trip to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. It is one of the few places I would like to visit again.
So, here are the things that are on my Bucket List:
1. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios, Florida.
2. Go to the United Kingdom, touring the English countryside, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland.
3. To record a CD of completely original songs.
4. To write and publish a novel and/or a compilation of short stories.
5. To write a play.
6. Win the California Mega Lottery (of course, you have to play to win).
7. To have a pool in my backyard.
8. To play Beatrice in Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing (although, age wise, I'm a little old for that part).
9. To intern for three months at Big Cat Rescue.
It's not a long list. I have no desire to jump out of a perfectly good airplane or off of a perfectly good bridge. I don't want to climb the highest mountain (although being able to see it IRL would be awesome). I have no desire to do any death defying stunts of any kind. Just the few simple things I have listed. (Although, technically, working with any big cat could be considered dangerous and therefore death defying.)
Anywho...thinking of Bucket Lists got me thinking in another direction. Which brings me to these Bible verses: Don’t hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and burglars. It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being. Matt 6:19-21 (MSG)
How much of our Bucket Lists are our treasures? Do I want to do all these things badly enough that I would pray "Don't come just yet, Lord. I want to complete my list and then you can come."? If Jesus came and I hadn't completed this list, would I look back in regret like Lot's wife? Or would I shrug and say, "Oh, well. It doesn't matter because I'm going home with Jesus?"
I don't think there is anything inherently wrong with having Bucket Lists. I think we need things to look forward to while we are here. I just think we need to put it all in perspective, looking at these things through the eyes of Heaven. Yes, it would be great to go to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, but I'd much rather go to the Kingdom of God. I guess I'm saying don't let your bucket list be your heart.
So, I'm going to add a few items to the above list as follows:
10. Not to make accomplishing the above items the most important things in my life.
11. To live a life worthy of the daughter of the King of Kings.
12. To love myself as God loves me so that I may love the people I come in contact with.
13. To let God's Spirit guide me in using the talents He's given me to spread His Word and His love.
14. To catch the Spirit by letting the Spirit catch me.
15. Completely surrendering my will to His will.
16. By growing into the person that my Father-God imagined I would be.
I think I can live with this Bucket List. If the first part of this list never comes to fruition, I can live with that. I'm more concerned with completing the second half. What about you?
