What does your "bucket" look like?

If I had to describe myself while using the metaphor of a bucket, I would probably describe it like this:  Kinda tattered, bend, stained, maybe even a little bit rusted, but sturdy, capable, useful, and still able to accomplish many things.


How would you describe your "bucket"?


This is the question that was posed at our Stake Relief Society this last Saturday at a fantastic meeting in which Sheri Dew and Wendy Watson Nelson came to speak to us.
They wanted us to realize that we don't all look, feel or act the same.  None of us are perfect, shiny and new.  In fact, all of us have dings, dents, and stains but that doesn't make us worthless.   Those imperfections actually make us stronger because we are still here, trying everyday to make a difference.

Now, Sheri Dew happens to be one of my most favorite speakers/writers in the world.  I love her books because she is plain spoken and just seems to tell it how it is.  Not much fluff, just meaningful, understandable, yet deep thoughts.  She is really quite funny as well which made her even easier to listen and pay attention.


I hadn't seen or read too many things about Wendy Nelson (wife of Russel M Nelson) but I really liked her too.  She has been married to Elder Nelson for only about 5 years and this is her first marriage.  They were married when she was 50 years old and she became a step mother to his 10 (grown) children!  She is really funny and charming and in fact she kind of surprised me how funny she is.


Sheri talked about how she had decided to plant some flowers in her yard a few Saturdays ago.  When she was done it was late in the evening so she cleaned up and went inside.  In the morning she looked out her window and found that ALL of her flowers were gone!  She slipped her shoes on and went out to look.  Every single flower was gone, leaving only the holes that she dug behind.  She followed the trail of dirt to the next door neighbors home and found all of her flowers lined up sitting on top on the soil there.  

She couldn't believe her eyes!  So, she rang the doorbell and asked if they knew anything about the flowers, to which, the parents said "No", but we think we might know who does...Out came a darling little 6 year old girl.  It turns out that after Sheri had gone in the house, this little girl, who loves flowers, came over to pull a flower bud off and the whole thing came out because it had just been planted.  The plant hadn't had time to take root.  After one came out, she decided that they all should be together and would look really nice in her yard.  She said she just loves flowers!  The parents made everything right and all is well in the neighborhood.  


What Sheri wanted to use this story for was to illustrate that we need to have deep roots and don't let the little things derail us in this life.  She couldn't believe that this tiny little 6 year old could do such damage.  Sometimes, it doesn't take much of uproot us.  She asked these questions:  "Are you easily offended?", "Are you side tracked by meaningless things?",  "Are you complacent in going along with what the world says is okay?".  


She said she is grateful that so much is required of us, grateful that God has high expectations of us, grateful that He trusts us to make those choices.  Are we?  She challenged us to have a Spiritual experience, everyday.  It's our choice to do so or not.  It is all in how we look at things. 


Wendy Nelson asked the question, " Is it a greater miracle to be taken out of the "Lions den" or is it the greater miracle to be in the "Lion's den" and still be safe?  Both would be miracles, but one takes greater faith to see it as a miracle.  


So, do we have the faith to make trials go away or do we have the faith to endure those trials and still see His hand in helping us?


She posed the idea that if we were each given the chance to see just 10 minutes of our "pre-mortal life video" (if there was one), that we would not be afraid nor would we falter in this life.  We would see what we had already done and already committed to do before we were born.    She asked if during that "video" we could see our "to do" list for our life, what would be on that list?  What have we already accomplished and what do we still need to accomplish?  Then she asked, "How do I /you fill the measure of our creation?  


Then she asked, "How would a woman be Holy?"  "What would that look like?"  "How would they act, behave, dress, talk, live etc."


An easy question to ask yourself is "Whose agenda are your actions, dress, conversations, attitudes, behavior etc. supporting?"  "Are the movies and music you watch supporting Heavenly Father and Jesus, or the adversary?" 


I know that my "bucket" was filled that day and I am better for it.