We Love Making Travel Bucket Lists, Why Not Spiritual Ones?
Do you have a bucket list? My closest childhood friend and I made one when we were in middle school. We are both sports fans, so it was no surprise that most of the items on our list were sports related. Still to this day, we love talking about and rehashing our list. I can’t remember everything we included, but I do recall a few items! We resolved to attend the Olympics one day (as fans, of course! ha!) and be there in person to witness a collegiate team win a national championship.
Nowadays, I don’t necessarily have a written down, specific bucket list like my friend and I did at one point. But I do kinda have a fluid one that floats around in the back of my mind! I want to, someday, embark on a solo travel adventure. And I also want to go on a safari in Botswana! That’s going to happen for my 40th birthday. Mark my words!
Another random thing I’d always had on my list was to see the ball drop in New York City on New Year’s Eve. And some circumstances aligned in just the right way that allowed me to check that off my list recently! A friend and I rang in 2023 in Times Square with an amazing view of that famous illuminated ball. It was an adventure (and one I’ll never do again), and we made a ton of incredible, lifelong memories in the process. …including one of my favorite moments of the day, when we were standing in line to get admitted into the viewing area for the ball drop, and an NYC cop literally asked us what we were in line for. Ha ha! That was slightly concerning! But it brings the best laughs every time we retell that part of the story.
I love what bucket lists bring to the table. For me, anyway, they help to organize and bring to life my hopes and dreams. By putting something on a list, I’m taking the first step toward (eventually, hopefully) making it happen. And I’m letting myself fantasize and imagine! In a way, a bucket list feels like a list of things that are teetering on the edge of possibility–are they actually attainable, or aren’t they? So then, when I do accomplish one of them, it feels like the most incredible achievement.
Another item on my bucket list was to take a trip with each of my three siblings. (I’m sure you’ve picked up on my travel-minded focus by now… Sorry not sorry!) Two summers ago, I spent some time in South America with my youngest brother, and he was the final step of meeting that goal. After talking about it for so long, and taking small steps toward it over time, it felt so satisfying to mark that item on my list as complete.
So I’ve been thinking–what if I made a spiritual bucket list? What would that look like? By making such a list, would I be more proactive about pursuing some things that could draw me nearer to God? And eventually, by accomplishing some of my listed items, would I feel energized to go after God with even more passion and excitement?
Here are a few things that come to mind that I might put on a spiritual bucket list:
- Spend an entire weekend “off the grid” and in communion with God
- Visit (more!) sites in the Holy Land
- Disciple/mentor a sister in Christ who’s looking for someone to encourage her walk with the Lord
- Memorize an entire chapter (or book?) of the Bible
- Join a small group at church
- Start a Christian book club
- Read through the entire Bible in a year
(Of course, PRAYER would be a necessary precursor to any of these activities. But listing items as “pray about doing this/that” feels like a tempting way of giving myself an easy out.)
What’s on your spiritual bucket list? Will you consider praying about what God might desire for you to place on such a list? Just imagine the adventures He could–does!–have waiting for you. I think God must smile down on us when we make bucket lists of any kind! God knows I like to travel, and in my mind, He loves seeing me getting stamps in my passport and realizing dreams by visiting new places with my friends and family. Maybe He turns to one of the angels and says, “Hey, look! Audrey just crossed the border into Peru! I love this for her!” He wants to see His children happy, and He also wants us close to Himself. Can you even imagine His reaction to you setting out to engrave His Word on your heart by memorizing a chapter of Scripture? If that same angel is still nearby, I imagine Him saying, “Best day ever! Audrey decided to memorize ______! Oh wow, I can’t wait to see how this transforms her mind, heart, emotions and LIFE. I hope she’s ready to have her mind blown!”
If watching the ball drop on New Year’s Eve brought me a tremendous amount of joy and satisfaction, I can’t even begin to imagine how transformational working toward items on a spiritual bucket list could be. Come on, let’s dive in! Adventure awaits!!