Have
you ever seen the movie “The Bucket List?”
I’ve only seen bits and pieces of it, but it seemed interesting to me. Here is the synopsis of it…. Corporate
billionaire Edward Cole and working class mechanic Carter Chambers have nothing
in common except for their terminal illnesses. While sharing a hospital room
together, they decide to leave it and do all the things they have ever wanted
to do before they die (according to their “bucket list”). They embark upon a journey that brings friendship,
discovery, and redemption.
Sounds
like an interesting concept. Making a
list of things we want to do before we die.
These men waited until the deadline had already been given before they
got started, but we can start today. I
watched an episode of the television show “Everybody Loves Raymond” that had a
similar concept. Ray was going through a
mid-life crisis because he was getting shorter or shrinking and decided to make
a “bucket list” of things to do before he died.
His list consisted of… eating things he had never eaten before and to
never throw up again. I guess your list
is what you make it. His wife tried to
convince him that a proper mid-life crisis is living in denial not planning out
your death. What a funny way to convey
the concept of living with the end in mind.
Being
sick a lot gets you thinking of all the things you can’t do or those things you
really wish you could do. I haven’t made
a “bucket list” of sorts yet, but I am thinking about it. I have done a lot of amazing things already on
the dream list in my mind. I married the
man of my dreams, I have two amazing boys, I have a cute dog, I went to
college, I have been overseas to El Salvador and Mexico, I have lived in and
visited several states, and I have met some pretty awesome people along the way.
If
I were to make a bucket list there are a few things I might want to put on it. One place I would like to visit is Prince
Edward Island. Ever since I saw the Anne
of Green Gables series that island has intrigued me. It is so beautiful! My mother in law loves it too. It would be awesome if some day we could go
visit it together. I also want to go to
the Smokey Mountains in Tennessee and publish a book or two. Beyond that I’m not sure what I should add to
the list. Not throwing up ever again
sounds pretty good. I’ll have to put
some thought into this. I love making lists
and more than that I love marking things off when I complete them. It makes me feel like I have accomplished
something.
I’ve
been thinking a lot lately about living with purpose… “Living
with Heaven in Mind.” We aren’t
promised tomorrow, but many of us live as though we are. Some scriptures come to mind as I have
thought about this.
James 4:13-15 says…
Some of you say,
"Today or tomorrow we will go to some city. We will stay there a year, do
business, and make money." But you
do not know what will happen tomorrow! Your life is like a mist. You can see it
for a short time, but then it goes away. So you should say, "If the Lord
wants, we will live and do this or that." (NCV)
Matthew 6:33-34 says…
“Seek first God's
kingdom and what God wants. Then all your other needs will be met as well. So
don't worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will have its own worries. Each
day has enough trouble of its own.” (NCV)
Colossians 3:2 says…
“Think about the
things of heaven, not the things of earth.” (NLT)Being a person of purpose and a planner can be my downfall at times. Because God has been filling my heart with this concept of “Living with Heaven in Mind,” it has been eye opening for me. How can I live like this and not plan for the future? I am not promised tomorrow. That has never felt more real to me than now. That being said, I want to plan for that possibility for the sake of my family.
I
have set aside purposeful time lately to write out personal letters to my
family in the event that my tomorrow isn’t promised to me. I know it may sound a little morbid, but the
reality is true. We will all die some
day and God only knows when. This whole
process has ripped my heart out to put it all on paper, but I want to be ready.
One
of my son’s and I talked about this recently.
He said, “Mom I’m afraid to die.”
I asked, “Why?” It seemed he was
more concerned about how he would die
than the whole idea of dying at all. I
communicated to him that we are all going to die someday. The important thing about it is that we are
ready. Our hearts need to be right with
God… the rest of the details are up to Him.
He seemed at peace with that.
What
if instead of writing out all the things we would like our loved ones to know
some day if we passed, instead we lived them out daily? What if we were the person we wanted them to
remember today? How much different would
our lives be? How would that affect our
families? How much richer would our lives
become if we lived with Heaven in Mind?
My
challenge to you today friend is to Live
with Heaven in Mind. Make the
changes you need to in order to live this way.
Live with purpose on purpose to impact your world for God.
If
you feel your heart isn’t right with God, it’s time for you and God to do
business. It’s never too late to settle
things with Jesus. He is ready and
waiting for you. He will meet you right
where you are. I would love to pray with
you. Please contact me via e-mail,
facebook, etc… I am always willing and available to talk, listen, and pray with
you friend. May
today begin a new journey for you of "living with heaven in mind."
Living
to leave a legacy,
Julie
