How Full Is Your Bucket?

Last week I was praying about what our Women's Retreat Theme should be. Every year I've gone to the retreat in Branson, there was always a theme. Well, in light of the fact the mini-retreat would be here in the KC area, I knew it needed to be something special. I also knew that with just three of us, it would be a really neat time together, as we wouldn't be juggling a lot of people. Of course, I had trouble praying last week about it due to parent/teacher conferences since that was my main focus for the week. So Friday I went to the Prayer Room, and the Lord gave me a book to share! I was pumped, as I knew it was EXACTLY what all three of us needed.

The Book is titled "How Full Is Your Bucket?" I got the kids' versions to give to Laura and SingingGal. In the story, a boy had an issue with a younger sibling, and he lets her know that he's upset. The Grandfather in the story explains to the boy that he just emptied her "bucket." He explained to the boy that everyone has a (Metaphorical) bucket above their head and when good things are said and done to a person, their bucket is filled. In that same bucket, someone can have their bucket emptied when someone says or does something that hurts them or makes them sad. He explained that it's up to us to fill other people's buckets, and we don't want to be a person that empties other people's buckets. Obviously, in the children's story the boy learns how the bucket concept works and it has a happy ending.

This story was something that a friend of mine in Joplin introduced me to, and I use it in my classroom with my students. It has really impacted me.

So on Friday, the Lord told me He was going to fill our buckets! I was pumped! My bucket has felt so dry that there wasn't a drop left. You're probably thinking, "Well, what was so wrong?" Well, nothing in particular. I just felt that God was at arm's length, and I wanted that gap closed. I wanted new revelation, knowledge, and words from Him. And, within that, I wanted that for my friends even more than I wanted it for me.

I could sit here and give you a play-by-play of how God filled my bucket, but I won't. I will just say that tonight I sit here closer to God than I have felt since the night I encountered Him at EGS when Allen Hood spoke. I am in awe of how full my bucket feels tonight. Seriously.

My friends got theirs filled as well. Between the time in the Prayer Room, EGS, FCF, and fellowship, we all grew closer to each other, as well as to Him.

It's a weekend I will never forget...

So, I encourage you to do something. Try to fill someone else's bucket. It can be something as easy as smiling at the struggling mother at the store, or saying a kind word to someone, or just sending an email that says "Hey."

Because the coolest part of it all is that when you fill someone else's bucket, you fill yours as well!

By the way, we had the opportunity to put this into action while we were at breakfast Sunday. While sitting at a restaurant, our waiter was having a rough time with his manager. Honestly, the manager was emptying his bucket repeatedly. So, every time he came to check on us, we filled his bucket by saying kind things to him! :-)

Woop!

Life.
Is.
Good.