I recently read a book to a four-year old girl I babysit, and it changed my life. The book is titled Have You Filled a Bucket Today. The book explains that every single person carries around an invisible bucket and that bucket has one purpose: to hold our good feelings about ourselves. If someone's bucket is full, they are happy. If someone's bucket is empty... you guessed it! They are sad. The book also explains that you can be a "bucket filler" by saying and doing nice things to people of a "bucket dipper" by saying and doing mean things.
Simple concept right. Life changing?? Why yes, yes it is.
We have all heard the sayings "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all." "Treat others as you want to be treated." blah blah blah. We all know that we should be kind and encouraging. But do we live it out? This is definitely an area that I have struggled with, and this book changed my perspective. But it wasn't just the book....
A few days after I read this book to my little friend, I stayed an extra half hour to play with her (she is normally at school while I babysit her brother so we don't get to play much). Her mom sent me a text later that night telling me that her daughter had told her, "When Miss Lauren stayed to play with me, she filled my bucket." This impacted me in a way I never expected. I suddenly realized that every action and word impacts those around me.
Often, I just float through the day completing tasks, checking things off my to-do list, having conversations, just getting through. Rarely do I intentionally consider and encourage those around me. Too often, my actions and words are thoughtless reactions to my situation and my feelings. I am motivated by things I enjoy and that will make me feel good, not by how others will feel. If I'm going to be a bucket filler, I'm going to have to start actively pursuing positive and encouraging things to say and do, and actively stop negative thoughts and reactions. At the end of the day, I want my bucket to be full but I also want all the buckets around me to be full!
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. - Hebrews 10:24
What is your favorite way to "fill someone's bucket?"
