I have so many dreams. I want to see the world before I die. I want to experience it all. I have the best bucket list.
I want to go on a mission trip. I want to win a national championship. I want to visit every major league ballpark. I want to see Mumford and Sons at Red Rocks. I want to go to The Eagle and Child pub to follow the footsteps of C.S. Lewis... you get the idea.
I'm sure you have a similar list. Maybe not the exact same items, but a long list of "I want's." It's a wishlist of dreams and goals. A never ending to-do list before you die.
Why are these dreams on your list? The thrill of adventure, enjoyment of discovery, sense of been there-done that, and pure bliss?
What if I told you there's an ultimate bucket list? It would bring you the utmost joy, greatest rushes of adventure, endless wisdom, and an ideal love story is included, tailored perfectly to you and your heart's desires.
Sounds too good to be true, right? It's absolutely possible and flawless, but here's the catch: It's not your's. You don't get to write it.
The writer loves you infinitely more than anyone else. He knows the corners of your heart, desires and all, seeking to give you all that you could possibly want and more. God has tailored an ultimate bucket list for you before you existed (Jeremiah 1:5.) He fills it with adventure, unexpected twists, peaceful satisfaction, and a love that has no boundaries.
Some items from your original list might overlap with your ultimate bucket list. Others disappear only to be replaced by bigger and better things that will blossom greater joys.
There's a tendency to grapple with the fear of the unknown, so many leave the ultimate bucket list idle to fulfill their own. We're human. We have the gift of intellect and we want to know everything we physically can, but God didn't create us to know everything. He didn't create us to check off the things on our personal bucket list.
God created us to say, "Yes." He calls us to leave our petty goals and dreams at the door to His personal plan for each one of us. His plan, the ultimate bucket list, will bring about necessary challenges only to be outweighed by the most unexpected of blessings and experiences. His plan is far more satisfying, rewarding, and beautiful than anything I could write for myself.
This "yes" is not just a one syllable response. It requires wholehearted trust, endless effort, and unconditional love. It's not a one time response. It's a never ending habit of decision making, sacrificing, and not knowing. God always keeps things simple, but simple isn't always easy.
I'm trading my bucket list in for the ultimate bucket list. This is my "yes."
