Have you pulled out your bucket list lately? You know, it’s the one filled with goals and ideas of things you still hope to accomplish, or places you want to visit, or dreams you have carried in your back pocket for a number of years. Of course, you may have “a things I will Never do” list also. You might note you will never bungee jump off a high bridge, or you will not walk a tight rope over Niagara Falls. Those are excellent items for your never list, but what about that dream list? Maybe you hope that you will visit the pyramids of Egypt one day. Or maybe you want to take a cruise to Alaska. Whatever it is, this list is a picture of your optimism, and your faith.
Your bucket list is full of reminders of the things you imagine are beyond your reach, at least for now. You write down goals and plans that with a little hard work and good timing could happen. You hold on to them as a possibility.
Some of the goals on your bucket list may require more than time or money. Maybe they require discipline. study, and intention. Maybe you want to run a 5K when you’re 65 and finish in the top 10 percent. If you have never entered a race before, or you seldom workout, this may seem far-fetched and unattainable. What it requires is a change of attitude and a commitment to practice and discipline.
Maybe you’re willing to set a goal where you actually risk failure. Perhaps you’ve been longing to try out for the community theater, but you haven’t done any acting since you were in a high school play. If you don’t try out, you can’t get a part in the play. If you do try out, you might not be picked for the role you want. Is it time to get out of your own way, try out, and achieve a long-held dream?
Maybe you have something on your bucket list that pertains to your faith in God. Perhaps you plan to join a church or write a devotional book. Maybe you want to be more intentional about spending time with God, but you’ve been waiting till you retire, when you’re less busy, or when the family responsibilities are not so all-consuming. The idea here is that it’s great to create a bucket list, but it’s better to create opportunities to achieve your dreams. If you think what you want will never be possible, then you have already written your script. You’ve already pushed aside your hope.
If you truly believe that with God all things are possible, then it may be that your bucket list needs to become your prayer list. It needs to be a measure of hopes and dreams that you consistently turn over to the only One who can navigate life to make them happen. You may be standing in the way of all God wants for you. If so, step back and step up to share your heart’s desires with God and never say never. With God’s help, you can do it. God is with you always.
Blessings to you today.
See my book, It’s Still Possible, for more inspiring ways to trust God for your hopes and dreams.