When we are in our 20’s, 30’s and 40’s we aren’t too concerned about having a Bucket List. After all, we plan to live ‘almost forever’ anyway, which is plenty long enough to do everything we want to, at least once. When we’re in our 50’s and 60’s we start getting a little antsy and begin to think that maybe ‘almost forever’ isn’t too far off. We re-evaluate our lives and wonder what happened to the time, our time, and all those things we were going to do, places we were going to go, at least once. So out comes a Bucket List with all our unfulfilled hopes, dreams and wishes that we simply must re-focus our focus on. Priorities, you know.
I read something recently that caused me to forget about trying to come up with a Bucket List, which I found myself doing simply because so many people have them at our age and several friends have asked what’s on ours. It just seemed like a lot of work to me, but I played along anyway.
In the story I read, there was a quote by Jim Elliot, a courageous young missionary who gave his life as a martyr for his Christian faith at the age of 29 in Ecuador, South America in 1956. You can find a short version of his life story here: http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/church-history-for-kids/jim-elliot-no-fool-11634862.html
The quote: "When the time comes to die, make sure that all you have to do is die!” ~ Jim Elliot
The World would have us believe that this means a Bucket List, a big Bucket List and one that you have devoted a good portion of your life or latter years accomplishing, lest you die without accomplishing everything you wanted to do, therefore dying with regrets.
As Christians, we are both blessed and fortunate to know better!
The only bucket list item we ever have to accomplish is the will of God in our own life, which would include loving the Lord our God with our whole heart, our whole soul, our whole mind and with all our strength. If we have done that to the best of our imperfect abilities, He will accomplish the rest with his grace, finishing what he started in us. If we can say that we are doing this on a daily basis, then when it comes our time to die today, tomorrow or many, many years from now, then we are ready to go and should have no regrets, and certainly no fear, because we know where we are going. All we have to do is “die” in peace and hand our soul over to our Lord and Savior. What a beautiful thought!
A Bucket List full of checked-off items could never be as beautiful or as peaceful as a life well lived, trying to do the will of God! So, mission aka Bucket List accomplished.
"Wherever you are, be all there! Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the Will of God!" ~ Jim Elliot
~ Gwen of IRISH ACRES