A REAL Bucket List

This week I stumbled upon an interesting website called bucketlist.org. The concept is pretty cool and simple enough - you create a list of things you hope to accomplish or experience before you kick the proverbial bucket. It reminds me of a song performed by Tim McGraw, I think it's called Live Like You Were Dying (yes, I am a Tim McGraw fan). If you ask me, life should be lived, really enjoyed and treasured. I wish I always acted as though this idea was rooted deep in my being. But I don't. I have lots of days that seem to just kind of begin and end without much in between. Man, this is missing it. Just plain missing it.

Best-selling author Erma Brombeck said, "When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, I used everything you gave me." Perhaps this should really be the heart of a legitimate bucket list. Without meaning to scrutinize others' dreams, I can't help but question whether or not we have adopted a shallow concept of what a real bucket list should look like. Admittedly, my initial thoughts for a personal list includes (in random order):

• Earn my pilot's license
• Sail from Panama City to the Caribbean Islands
  
• Watch a Red Sox/Yankees game from the top of the Green Monster
• Bag an Alaskan Moose to have mounted and placed above my fireplace
  
• Travel with Claire to New Guinea

You get the idea. My selfish bucket list would have a ton of things that were exciting, exotic, and expensive (the American dream, right?!) But, what if this list took a backseat to another one, a more selfless list. This whole concept is inspired for me by a young lady you may have probably heard of by now: Rachel Beckwith. Not even 9 years old before her transition from this life to the next and she got it, I mean really got it. Her idea of a birthday present was raising money and giving it away to people in need. What an incredible heart, what an incredible attitude. Suppose Christians adopted this same mindset and began acting as if this were most important to us. What a world of difference I believe our culture would see in us, our faith, our God. I dare myself to live like Rachel Beckwith. I challenge myself to re-evaluate what my personal bucket list should look like. Maybe more like:

• Travel to meet my Compassion Int'l child in Africa to hug him and tell him face-to-face that I really do love him
• Preach God's love and grace to students every month
• Build a home for a family as an expression of God's desire to bless people
• Adopt a child who feels unloved to show them how precious they truly are
• Smile regularly - even when I feel discouraged
• Invite more people to have dinner with my family
• Pray with Claire to God the Father daily
• Hug my mom and dad every chance I get
  

I think this list is shaping up a lot better...

Now, if you care to share I would love to hear from you - what's on your real bucket list?