leaky buckets

“Why do the people waste their time on futile plans?” Psalm 2:1

Futile: incapable of producing any useful result; pointless:

from Latin futilis ‘leaky, futile,’ apparently from fundere ‘pour.’

My Abba,

Over the years, I have futilely poured myself into hundreds of leaky buckets. Many times, I spilled my life on the ground. That makes me sad. Please forgive me.

The psalmist poses the question, “Why do the people waste their time on futile plans?” Most often, I think we waste ourselves on pointless schemes because we believe those things will best satisfy or fulfill us. You have created us for a life so much greater than the one we can envision on our own. Many times, we settle for a substitute, replica, or knock-off of the real deal. It turns out those imitations are not ever as awesome as advertised.

It reminds me of buying a poorly made, imitation handbag on the sidewalk that looks like the genuine article. Sometimes we don’t realize we have invested in a lesser product until we use it for a while. When it starts to fall apart, then we are sorry we wasted our money on it.

Investing in your kingdom can be costly. Sometimes it seems foolish to spend more for the real deal. But as time passes in my life, I realize the investment in your priorities is clearly worth it.

Please give me your eyes to see the leaky buckets in my life, and the wisdom and strength to avoid them. Show me what is truly worth my time and energy. Pour out your living water through me into what is most important to you.

I love you,

Mollie

My child,

I am glad you don’t want to waste your time on what is futile. I am the only one who fully understands what is pointless and what will have a useful and lasting (eternal) outcome. 

I know you don’t want to pour your life into a leaky bucket. I also know you can’t always tell what will hold water. Fortunately, I can. I am able to give you wisdom so that you don’t spill yourself out on the thirsty ground of what is vanishing.

I designed you to spend yourself on what will last. My plans and purposes always endure, even if it looks like you are “wasting” your life on me now.

You are a conduit of my flawless living water. I want you to be a jealous steward of it. Think about the pure, refreshing water of your favorite springs. What if you were put in charge of how it was used? You would never want to waste it. You would feel compelled to use each drop of it well.

Remember that image when you have opportunities each day to be a conduit of my love. I don’t want you to waste yourself on anything less than the incomparable beauty of loving others and me well.

No matter how extravagantly you spend your life on what is important to me, not a trace will be squandered. No misuse. No futility. Nothing misspent. Each day can hold one glorious adventure with me after another into the height, depth, and breadth of my love.

Take my hand.

I love you,

Abba

Photo: costasz

NLT