My Bucket List

A fun movie is The Bucket List, featuring actors Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. In the movie they meet in the hospital, each one finding out they have terminal illnesses. They compose a "bucket list" - things they want to do before they "kick the bucket." Throughout the movie they bring out a page from a yellow legal pad and cross off each event as they complete it. They set off on a world wide adventure of their lives. The movie is worth renting.

In this morning's Bible reading, King David was getting some of the things done in his kingdom that had been desires of his heart. He had wanted to build a temple, but God told him otherwise. He wanted to bring the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem, but the first attempt had ended in disaster. In today's reading, David is successful in his attempt to bring the ark to Jerusalem and place it in a special tent that he had built. I wonder if David had a bucket list? As you read through the account of his life, it seemed like there were a lot of things he tried to accomplish at the end of his days.

As I thought about this passage of scripture that I had just read, I thought about my own life. I have been a husband for almost 36 years, (August 9th), a father for 34 years, a pastor for 36 years. If my good health continues, I would like to work full time for 8 more years. For the most part, my life has been fairly predictable. So what would be on my bucket list? If I could had the time and resources, what would be at the top of my list. Without a doubt, number one would be to spend some time in Israel. I would love to see the land of the Savior. I would also like to have enough time to spend in a missions project somewhere in the world where my work would have a lasting impact. I would love to spend some time with a struggling congregation, helping them to heal and get back on their feet. Maybe in a small Colorado or Oregon town with a trout stream running through it. I would enjoy going back to Alaska and fishing for salmon or steelhead in one or more of Alaska's majestic rivers. Perhaps flying into the roadless wilderness where few people visit. I would like to record a second piano project, probably a Christmas project.

How about you? Do you have a list? Let's see, I think I have a yellow legal pad somewhere around here...