Summer Bucket List

Remember the 2007 comedy “The Bucket List?" The main plot follows two terminally ill men on their road trip with a wish list of things to do before they kick the bucket.  Since summer officially has begun, I thought it would be fun to come up with a summer bucket list.  Your summer bucket activity list might consist of things like: Schlitterbahn, Sea World, Colorado Mountains, road trip to family, or some other destination. 

But, I want to propose something different. What about starting a summer bucket list of actions? What would it look like if we set our aim high this summer to love people well? How could we show others we love them not only in words, but actions and truth? What ways could we model loving others well this summer to our family, friends and co-workers? 

Here is a start of a list for a Summer Bucket List…

Practice patience. Summer heat can bring out the worst in people. Whether angry drivers or people that cut you off in a line, you can model the virtue of patience by allowing others to go first. Look for ways to show grace to people who don't deserve grace. Remember, we don't deserve it either.

Practice gratitude. What would a summer of non-complaints be like in your household?  Not about weather, traffic, crowds, work issues. NO COMPLAINING! Instead, look for ways to be grateful. Practice looking for things to be thankful about. No one likes being around a grouchy complainer.

Plan forSabboth.  One way to make sure you slow down regularly is to practice taking the Sabboth. (See Exodus 20:8-10) "Sabboth is God’s way of saying, 'Stop. Notice your limits. Don’t burn out.' It is a day God gives us to remember who and what work is for as well as what matters most." (Adele Ahlberg Calhoun, Spiritual Disciplines Handbook) Rest is a good thing.

Do a service project.  Get outside yourself. Look at summer as a time to serve. Give. Visit someone in the hospital. Work in vacation bible school. Serve in a soup kitchen. Volunteer in a non-profit. Mow a neighbor’s lawn. Care for a widow. Visit a nursing home. If you’re part of a family, plan a family service project! Your kids will never forget this!

 Invite people to your home. The gift of hospitality has long gone out the door in our modern ways! Sharing your home, food, resources, car and all you call your own is a beautiful way to display God's love. Plan a party "just because." Don't worry about if your house is perfect or not. Make it about people, not stuff.

Get to know someone in a different life stage.  It’s funny how we stick with sameness. We feel so comfortable with those like us. Same age. Same stage. Same economic level. It’s easier. We relate to our same world.  But, what about reaching out to someone different than you? Take time to get to know someone different than you. Ask questions. Get outside your world!

 Practice forgiveness. So, did you know that un-forgiveness paralyzes you, not the one you’re angry at? Many times, the other person has no clue what they’d done to deserve the cold shoulder.  But you do!  What would it look like to enjoy a summer where your relationships are in good order? What a way to live!

Did this list get your summer wheels spinning? Now it’s time to come up with your own summer bucket list! If you’re in a family, why not create one together? Make this summer a cut above the rest! 

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain for the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.