Shelley du Plessis on a life with vision

I had seen a film on a previous flight and it had started to stir a whole host of thoughts. The film had been none other than 'The Bucket List', based on the story of two dying men drawing up a list of things they'd like to do before they 'kicked the bucket'. I had some time on hand while waiting in the airport for a connecting flight and began to construct my own bucket list, a list of things I'd like to do before I die. Tongue in cheek, I thought I'd make a long list of pretty intense and difficult to do entries, thereby ensuring that it would take time before the list was complete. One of my entries was to ride an ostrich.

The ostrich, also known as Struthio camelus, is the largest type of bird in the world, often weighing more than 400 pounds (181.4 kg), and standing as tall as 8.9 feet (2.7 meters). It is a flightless bird and is native to Africa. According to legends, ostriches have a tendency to bury their heads in the sand as a way to avoid danger, but there is no scientific evidence to show that this is true.

Another possible source of the rumour that ostriches bury their heads in the sand, could be the scientific fact that, when threatened, the ostrich will fall forward in the sand and lay its head to the ground, so that its body will resemble a bush to passing predators. This action is especially common when the ostrich is attempting to protect its eggs. As the head and neck are the same colour as the sand, to an observer, it may look as though the ostriches bury their heads in the sand. In that we know ostriches do not actually bury their heads in the sand, we realize that ostriches are not as stupid as people seem to think.

The ostrich's eyes are about the size of billiard balls. They take up so much room in the skull that the ostrich's brain is actually smaller than either one of its eyeballs. This may be why the ostrich, despite its tremendous running speed, is not very good at eluding predators; it tends to run in circles.

As I looked over the list, I began to think about what drives our vision and passions. Many of us just seem to amble along the road of life without any real reason for getting up in the morning. We cannot see any clear reason for the things we do in life. For many, the deep-seated void in their heart drives them to constantly fill the emptiness with all sorts of trinkets and passions the world has to offer; an "if it feels good, do it" mindset. These things are merely passing fancies that never bring any satisfaction.

In Proverbs 29:18 in the Amplified Bible it says: 'Where there is no vision [no redemptive revelation of God], the people perish; but he who keeps the law [of God, which includes that of man]--blessed (happy, fortunate, and enviable) is he.'

In another translation, it says of the same verse: 'Where there is ignorance of God, crime runs wild; but what a wonderful thing it is for a nation to know and keep his laws.'

I find that many of the people I come into contact with, have a form of blindness of the heart which prevents them from having any full revelation of who God is. Their understanding of Him comes through eyes that do not and often, will not focus on the truth and the simplicity of the truth. He is God alone and if we had to submit to the way He suggests we live our lives, crime and heartache would not run wild.

God is not a cosmic 'killjoy' who wants us to be puppets on an unseen string. Just the opposite! He wants us to have our spiritual eyes open wide as the ostrich does, so that we can see His goodness, and have an understanding of who He is and how He operates. We need to create a spiritual bucket list of opportunities that we can set out before God and say: "Which one of these things are we going to be partners in today?"

People without vision are the unhappiest people in the world. They have no understanding of God, are totally unsatisfied, never fulfilled, always aimless, and without faith for the future, with a 'So what!' attitude when it comes to the outworking of situations in their lives.

It is time for us to come to a place of opening the eyes of our heart and seeing who God is, and to stand as life approaches us, with open-eyed determination to capture as much as possible of the joy of living in His purpose and wonder.

Some of my Spiritual Bucket List:

• To look for a fresh revelation of the majesty of the Father in His creation of beauty around us everyday.


• To look every day at the sunrise, as a confirmation of God's faithfulness.


• To see the expression on someone's face as I tell them I appreciate them because of what they have done for me.


• To do something unexpected for someone every day, just because I'll take them by surprise.


• To learn to live as though today is my last, but also to plan as though it is the first day of the rest of my life.


• To number my days and not waste them on insignificant things which expend unnecessary energy and create pain and frustration.


• To attempt to see the possibilities of God in every situation - miracles happen when we do.

There is a song that says:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of this earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His Glory and grace.

Check out You Tube for Newsboys, Michael W. Smith, Hillsongs and others singing this song.