A Bucket That’s Overflowing

Do you ever find God trying to get your attention? More than once, more than twice, this week I’ve been reminded of wanting more. No, not the more we often think about; more clothes (hands up if you are like me), more beautiful things to surround us and have a home just like so-and-so’s, more time, more ways to feel good, more my way, more of more. That kind of more is like filling a bucket with a hole in the bottom. Whatever goes in my bucket, I will always end up wanting more in my bucket. The kind of more I’m looking for is a bucket that’s overflowing.

You know the old saying it is better to give than to receive, right? I always wondered at what point that saying actually came true. Don’t lie, you know you love to get a good gift. Please tell me you do, because I really love to get gifts. Don’t leave me here all by my greedy self. It feels so good. For about two seconds. It’s like Christmas … when do I get to open another gift? And another? When does Amazon deliver another gift to myself. And another? Having things is a never-ending chase, a high. But, somehow, my bucket always ends up not quite full enough.

There is something for me to learn from the people who built my home about fifty years ago. They built me a closet that doesn’t hold very much. I am constantly either cramming more grey sweaters into it, or the time comes for things to get the boot. Boots get the boot. Too much stuff resides in my closet. But do I learn? Nope. This week the fourth online company I’ve purchased from sent me the wrong thing. The fourth one. It may be time for me to just stop, right? It’s a battle. My bucket is filled with holes, I’m here to tell you.

When I start to clean out the closet it is a chore. And then an odd thing starts to happen. Giving things away starts to feel good. The more things that come out, and the higher the pile of sell/give gets, the better I feel. I’ve been reading some things from Kathi Lipp on decluttering. I’ve started to get rid of 500 things. I’m on something like 447. Hear me, it has taken over three months just to get this far. Help. I am holding tight to my bucket of things.

And then I read this …

Ann Voskamp asks in The Way of Abundance, “What do I really want? What do I want my one life to really be about? … what you love is what you’ll ultimately have for all eternity.” (The Way of Abundance)

Church songs remind me each week of a place that is not here. My joy (or sometimes lack of it) is in my worship. My burdens are on full display in worship. But when worship is over I have contentment. My bucket is full, overflowing. It is full with something that cannot be bought by me. Jesus already paid for that full bucket. There is an eternity waiting for those who believe. And there we will be able to worship Jesus, the one who gave up everything, so we could have that ‘every day like Sunday worship’ with him.

We live in a world that says it is okay to fill your heart to its content. Fill it however you like. The thing is, I don’t think our hearts ever fill to their content. My heart bucket will never be content. Only when I pour the things of Christ into my bucket will I find my heart’s contentment.

Do I want ratty, grey sweaters for all eternity? Or do I want to start filling my bucket now with that worship that will overflow into eternity? Give me a bucket that’s overflowing.

My favorite song today: TobyMac // Promised Land