In her book, Have You Filled a Bucket Today? (A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids), Carol McCloud talks about how everyone has an invisible bucket that they carry each day. In the bucket we put our good thoughts and feelings and our sad thought and feelings. When we are filled with good thoughts that is what we share with others. However when we are filled with sad thoughts and feelings, we share that with those we come in contact with.
Have you ever thought about what determines how your day will go? Most of the time it is how our morning starts. Getting up late, the kids not getting dressed in time, slow traffic, may cause our “bucket” to be filled with frustration and maybe anger which may be directed toward our family, coworkers, friends, and even strangers. Halfway through the day, we realize our words and actions are not what God wants from us. Our problem is what we have filled our bucket with.

God has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love. When we are feeling empty or frustrated, we can turn to the Spirit to fill our “bucket”. A famous pastor used to say, “I vacate; God occupies.” Notice that first we have to vacate and then God can occupy. Our problems come when we refuse to vacate and get caught up in daily life, leaving God out. We suffer along with everyone who comes in contact with us.
I love the scripture found in Romans 15:13
I pray that God , the source of Hope, will fill you completely with Joy and peace because you trust in Him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. This week, I encourage you to allow your bucket to be filled with God’s joy and peace and to share it with others.