A hot cup coffee first thing in the morning. (Drop) “I love you” from my girls. (Drop) The smell of salt air on the beach. (Drop) The giggles of my students. (Drop) These are a few things that put drops in my bucket.

At the beginning of every school year, I read the picture book, How Full is Your Bucket, by T. Rath and M. Reckmeyer to my students.  The message behind the book is when good things happen, your bucket is filled and you are happy.  The character notices that when he is doing nice things for others, it puts drops in their buckets, but the kindness surprisingly fills his bucket as well.  After I read this to my class, I encourage the students to think of all the ways they can fill others’ buckets, not just on this particular day, but every day. I love our conversations that follow about how buckets were filled.

Some days, though, our buckets are depleted.  Some days the nastiness of the world, the anxiety, the fears, the stress of our everyday lives cause the drops to be emptied from our buckets, one drop at a time or sometimes in one big dump!

Let’s face it, we have all walked around with empty buckets. Days, months, maybe even years.  It’s tough.  We inadvertently look to our family, our friends, our job, or our idea of success to fill our buckets.  And, even though it sometimes works, there will be times it won’t.  Sometimes, the very things we depend on to fill our buckets, not only fail to fill them, but are the very things that empty them.

“It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans.” Psalm 118:8 (NIV)

When we look to our Lord and Savior, we can truly know what a full bucket feels like. Filling our buckets (and our hearts) with His word, His promises, and His goodness. We can try all we want to be filled with the things of this world, but there will be times we will be empty.  God wants us to be dependent on Him.  He wants to fill our buckets.   

We rely on God, and He fills us with the fruit of the Holy Spirit.  And, the result is living a life more and more like Jesus.  Our buckets are not only filled, but we are able to put drops in others’ buckets as well through our love spilling out of our buckets. 

I can’t always be guaranteed a full bucket all the time, but these are a few ways that I try to fill my bucket each day …. In addition to my coffee first thing in the morning.

• Pray.

“Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.”  I Chronicles 16:11(NIV)

I pray Lysa TerKeurst’s words every day, “Lord, I want to see You. I want to hear You. I want to know You. I want to follow hard after You.”  I pray for the Holy Spirit to work through me.  I pray prayers of gratitude.  When my conversations with God happen first thing in the morning, my bucket begins to fill with love, hope, and anticipation of the blessings He will bring that day. There is no doubt I pray to a God who is good, who listens to me, and who will fill my bucket with his goodness.

• Read the Bible.

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” 2 Timothy 3:16 (NIV)

The best way for me to know my Lord and know how to follow Him is to read His word.  If we try to rely on our own understanding, our own opinions, we will fall short of His glory.  The only way to obey God to know His teaching.  The only way to know this is to read the bible.

·    Listen to Praise Music 

“Speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord.” Ephesians 5:19 (NIV)

When I ask God to speak to me, I know one of the ways He is doing that is through praise music.  I fill my mind, my heart, my soul with the words as I (attempt to) sing the affirmation of  “The Blessing” by Kari Jobe to the worship of  “What a Beautiful Name” to the encouragement of  “King of the World” by Natalie Grant.

Is your bucket full today?  I hope so, and I hope the drops overflow to those around you.  Be blessed, friends.

“In conclusion, my friends, fill your minds with those things that are good and that deserve praise: things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and honorable. Put into practice what you learned and received from me, both from my words and from my actions. And the God who gives us peace will be with you.”  Philippians 4:8-9 (NIV)