Imagine having a birth defect that will eventually result in blindness. Imagine being nine years old when learning this devastating news. That’s exactly the challenge of 9-year-old Ben Pierce. He was born prematurely at 23 weeks weighing only 1 pound and 6 ounces.
Coming to the realization that any day his sight could be lost was no easy task for Ben. Ben’s family now helps him prepare for his future as he deals with the challenges of blindness.
As a part of his preparation, Ben has created a bucket list of things to see before his sight is totally gone. The list includes mountains, oceans, and animals.
Paul’s Bucket List after Blindness
In the book of Philippians, the Apostle Paul talks about his bucket list after blindness. Paul was blinded one day on the Damascus Road (Acts 9:3–9). Before this event, Paul had the full function of both eyes and yet was spiritually blind. In fact, it wasn’t until after he was blinded that he really began to see the revelation of Jesus Christ. His life before blindness had been one of many accomplishments. He had seen many places and done many things. Yet Paul’s bucket list did not have meaning until after he became blind.
Paul stated in Philippians 3:8 that all he had seen and accomplished before his blindness was useless or as dung compared to the joy of knowing Jesus Christ.
Ben Pierce has a seemingly endless list of things he wants to see and do, and yet Paul had only one thing on his list. The sole entry on Paul’s bucket list is found in Philippians 3:8b–11. Paul’s wish was “that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.”
Ben Pierce’s bucket list consists of all the sights that a young boy could imagine at nine; whereas Paul’s bucket list consisted of the only important sight that one who has met Jesus Christ could imagine, and that’s to know Him and all that is to be known in the power of His resurrection.
For each individual, the bucket list is very important! If asked today, “What’s on your bucket list?” how would you respond?
May God grant you wisdom as you select the items for your bucket list.
By Dr. L.W. Edwards
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