"BUCKET LIST" -- Devotional for October 20, from "Good Seeds"

Hezekiah became mortally ill. The Lord told him through Isaiah the prophet, “Set your house in order, for the time has come for you to die.” But Hezekiah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly: “Will You so soon take my life, though I have walked before You in truth, with a whole heart, and have done what is good in Your sight?” Word came again from God through Isaiah: “I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. Behold, I will heal you, adding fifteen years to your life, and deliver you and your city from the hands of the Assyrians.” (II Kings 20:1-6)

A few years ago I wrote out a list of things I wanted to accomplish before I die. I arranged them into a poem that starts out like this: “Now here’s a little list / It’s written on my wrist / Of things I want to do before I die: / Now I know that my want-to’s / Won’t always be my get-to’s / But maybe some will come if I just try.” I wonder what want-to’s were on Hezekiah’s list when Dr. God came in with this dismal prognosis: “You are about to die and not live.” I suppose we all could present our list to God from our deathbed and beg for the miracle healing that this good man asked for – and received. Well, we can always ask! But how many of us will have that dubious good fortune to know the expected time of our death? (I’d rather not know). Either way, maybe we should live each day as if it were our last day – live it to the full, doing the next task on our list, so we can check it off, for the glory of God! Probably one of the most serious comedies I’ve ever seen was “Bucket List.” It’s a movie about two old men sharing a hospital room who are told they’ve got six months to live. I was struck by what one said to the other: “What do you think happens? You go home to some ceremonial procession unto death, all smothered by pity and grief, where everyone you love stands around watching you die – while you try to comfort them! Is that what you want?” I guess it wasn’t what either wanted, for the two old codgers drew up a list of things they would like to do before they “kicked the bucket.” It was their “Bucket List.” And off they went, skydiving and the like! Instead of worrying about our inevitable death, maybe our minds and hearts would be put to better use if we would let that emotional steam drive our body’s engine to keep busy for God. Two facts are undeniable here: 1) He’s got things for us to do until they day we die; but 2) We won’t be finished with the list when it comes our time. When Paul said, “I’ve finished the course” (II Timothy 4:7) I don’t think he meant he’d checked everything off his list. But still, he had “fought the good fight; he had kept the faith.” Will we be able to say as much? And are the things on our Bucket List worthy of an extended life?