Filling the Bucket

First, I would like to say that I did not take this picture, if I had, it would be a better picture, but I couldn't find a bucket. It is amazing that with all of the artistic pictures of seemingly everything out there on the internet, there is not a better picture of a bucket. Sorry about that. This post is really about metaphorical buckets. I often find that a new year causes me to evaluate things I'd like to add to my bucket list. This post is a little bit about that. Here are some of the things on it, some new, some longstanding:

• Write a book 
• Meet my long-time writing friend in person
• Get married
• Welcome children into my family
• Watch my brother get married to someone wonderful
• Be part of a flash mob
• Take a ballroom dancing class with someone who loves me
• Go to an NHL game
• Publish fiction
• Drink real Absinthe
• Go on the Over the Rhine train
• Visit New York City

There is a children's book about buckets that I love. It talks about how when you do little things (or big things) for people, it fills up their bucket. In this book, everyone walks around with a bucket (even grown ups!). People will fill up your bucket (or poke holes in it) and you can fill up someone else's bucket or dump it out. This makes me think of Luke 6:38, which is how I try to live my life:

"Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure-- pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return." (NASB)

This year, I want to fill the buckets of those around me, even as I watch God fill mine: pressed down, shaken together and running over.

Thanks for being on this journey with me, friends.