The Bucket List

Two weeks ago today, I was off on an adventure with three of my best friends. We call ourselves the LIHEAP sisters ( thanks to Christine Westerlund for naming us). I say all the time, that I truly do feel things happen for certain reasons. Kathy and I were driving to Geneva, to meet the other two. It was time for a break, so we were in search of someplace to stop. Our choices were McDonalds or the truckstop. I have been doing a morning green juice since the day after Christmas and this day, I had ran out of time. I asked if we could stop at the truck stop because there was more of a chance of finding at least a bottled green juice. You never know what you will find at a truck stop.

We walked in the door and there was a spinner of books, Christian books. We both stopped immediately. One particular book caught my eye (though I ended up buying several). But this book, What if God Wrote Your Bucket List was seriously screaming, "you NEED me!".

The full title has "52 things you don't want to miss" added. So clearly, you could read one chapter a week for the next year. Yeah, I don't do things like that well. I am on #13. Everyday I have read, I thought, "I could do a blog post about this!". I am loving this book and it is very much speaking to me daily.

Some of the chapters are "Set Goals-but Not in Concrete, Drive Through the Storm, Be Last in Line, and Go to Funerals. Those are just a few of the first 13. As I said, all thought provoking and good. The book is available at Amazon, if you are interested.

The Be Last in Line chapter really hit home to me in a different way than normal. I know I have done blogposts here about putting others first but still taking care of yourself, and I still firmly believe that, but it dawned on me as I read this chapter that the more I put others first, the less I feel the NEED to be first. And then I felt really silly for never feeling that before.

It is a little like the fact that you have all these questions you want to ask God when you get to Heaven, and then realize, once you are there, you probably aren't even going to care to know the answers.

The book states, "To be great in the eyes of the world pretty much involves being first. First to reach the mountaintop. First at the box office. First in rushing yards or home runs. First in line at the bank. First place in whatever race you're running. 
But the true greatness comes when you let others go ahead of you. Yes, we should absolutely strive for excellence. God wants us to use our gifts and give our best efforts in all we do. But when glory comes, give it away."

Matthew 19:30 says,  "But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first." and what I am getting at, is the longer you practice putting others in front of you, the more you WANT others in front of you. The desire to do my best will always be there, and I count it a failure anytime I can't say I did my best, but the desire to have to be first is slipping away. There are so many people in my life that I can't wait to see them fulfill their dreams, and the thing is, I get to help them, support them, and be a part of it, and that is making my life incredible. I feel like I have slipped out of a shell because anyone who has known me forever, knows I have even said, "2nd place is just first loser", but getting to be behind your friends and family as you watch them cross a finish line they have wanted forever; I have realized this week, it is the best seat in the house. I still have finish lines to cross myself, and goals, and dreams but taking them a little slower, knowing when I need to be concentrating on other's needs above my own, that may make me physically last to cross that line, but I truly get God saying the last shall be first. There are days I surely win the most blessings in one day award. 

And, obviously, if it weren't for having friends with dreams that I get to support, I wouldn't get to feel this way, so I am leaving you with Beautiful, by Mercy Me. 

And a special thank you to those friends and family members who put me ahead of themselves, so they get to watch my successes, support me, and be a part. I love you, I hope you know that. You are truly beautiful to me.