As National Bucket List Day inspires people to dream bigger and live with intention, it’s the perfect moment to ask a deeper question: are you experiencing the abundant, joy-filled life Jesus spoke about in John 10:10?
Do you have a ‘bucket list’? If not, today’s a good day to think about creating one. Are there things you want to accomplish, people you want to meet, adventures you want to experience or places you want to go in your lifetime? Add them to the list.
In John 10:10, Jesus tells us He has come so we can ‘have life, and have it to the full.’ Abundant, exuberant, joyful life is part of His design for us; a taste of eternity within the confines of a finite number of our years here. But what does that look like?
Of course, it’s subjective. We’re uniquely designed and created; our mental wiring is different; nature and nurture have moulded us into individuals with a spectrum of personalities, preferences and propensities. At the same time, Jesus followers are called to a life of sacrificial love, preferring others above ourselves, walking in His footsteps, listening, speaking and loving as He did. Are the two incompatible? I don’t think so.
Humanity was created though the will of God for His pleasure as well as His purpose
Humanity was created though the will of God for His pleasure as well as His purpose (Philippians 2:13; Revelation 4:11). Romans 8:19 says that ‘the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.’ The more we become the people God created us to be, the more glorified He is. Discovering who that is as we develop the gifts and talents God’s given us, allows us to flourish and feel His pleasure. When we pursue a God-given dream we can discover a satisfaction that is beyond mere box-ticking accomplishment. We can experience a glimpse of heaven.
READ MORE: ‘I am an ordinary woman, with a simple dream from God’
My own bucket list began with a desire to travel beyond the small town where I was raised. More than anything I wanted to see the Norwegian fjords and when, as a student, I saved my grant money (remember that?) by living off cabbage, tomato sauce and sardines, I was able to fulfil the wish and gasp at the wonder of the spectacular glaciers and fjords.
READ MORE: God gave me a dream of a book, and it took 28 years to bring the dream to reality
My ambition to become a Blue Peter presenter was thwarted, which was a shame particularly as I’d assumed I would get to have a lot of adventures in that capacity.
My ambition to become a Blue Peter presenter was thwarted, which was a shame particularly as I’d assumed I would get to have a lot of adventures in that capacity. However, many years later I’m amazed to look back and discover that although I still haven’t sky-dived, I’ve done things and been places I would never have dreamed of when I was a student.
I’ve been to Paris, New York, Copenhagen and Rome; stood in Gethsemane, by the Garden Tomb and the shores of Galilee; I’ve felt the spray from both Niagara and Victoria Falls, seen the Big Five and walked a chunk of the Great Wall of China. I’ve been awed by the natural wonders of Californian Redwoods, the South China Sea, the roaring Pacific and climbed Table Mountain. I’ve admired the man-made structures of the Pyramids, The Treasury at Petra, and the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur. I’ve sailed under the Sydney Harbour Bridge, watched a Wimbledon final on Centre Court, an RSC production at The Globe and seen the Crown Jewels. I’ve had tea at the Dorchester, abseiled from the tower of Bath Abbey and zip-lined elsewhere. I’ve driven huge vehicles including a double decker bus, an articulated lorry, a World War 2 vehicle and an army tank.
READ MORE: What Victoria Beckham taught me: why building a dream with your husband might be biblical
Phew! If you make your own list, you may find you’ve ticked more things than you had realised. Particularly exciting for me was when my first book was published in 2020. A long-held dream became a reality which launched a whole new season of my life.
Of course, there’s always more to see. I’d still love to visit the Masai Mara, Red Square and Cape Horn. I only spent 24 hours in New Zealand because my father passed away in England and I had to return. I’m wrestling inconclusively with the idea of a visit to Auschwitz and am booking an appointment with an Aston Martin soon, thanks to a birthday gift. We may not know what lies ahead but enjoying the journey is part of God’s design for us. What’s on your bucket list?
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