bucket3My mother coined the term “Love Bucket” when I was a girl. I don’t know if it was original to her but I have never heard it talked of outside of our home. A Love Bucket is that place inside of you that gives you the ability to love others. When someone else needs some love, you have your reserve from your bucket. Love buckets also have to be filled. A cuddle in mother’s lap, a hug from a brother, a kind work, a compliment, reading the Bible are all great ways to fill a love bucket.

Hop a Long (#3) loves to tell me his love bucket is empty when it is time for him to go to bed and he uses it as an excuse to stay up later. And I let him. What mother can resist that sweet little one curled up in my lap, letting me kiss and pet him. He won’t want that much loving that much longer as he will be 5 in a few months but I am going to take advantage of it even if it means staying up a 20 minutes later.

Butch (Twin A) just climbs in my lap at any time he finds me sitting down. He loves to sit there and watch TV, watch what I am doing on the computer or just put his head on my shoulder. He sometimes talks about his love bucket being empty but he has learned to just come on over and fill it up.

Sundance (Twin B) must have a slow release love bucket. He has a large heart and will share his care and compassion with everyone but he only comes for some cuddling about once a day and stays for 5 minutes. He loves to cuddle and he is getting big for my lap but I just let him sit whenever he wants.

Honey loves to have his head rubbed and this goes a long way in filling his love bucket.I think his mother must have put him to sleep that way because I can stay up reading as long as I want if I rub his head.

My love bucket is enormous. It gives me the ability to love many people and to have many friends. It allows me to take on other children and help them feel special. The draw back is that an enormous love bucket must be refilled on occasion. My mother was so good at just letting me lay my head on her and she would rub my hair. My boys do fill my love bucket but there is that give and take with them.

I am learning how to let the Lord fill me up so that I can share His love with others. It seems funny to say I have been laying on the Lord’s lap but that is sorta what it takes. I have to stop what I am doing and just spend some time with Him without trying to do anything else. THis is hard for a busy mom but without my love bucket being refilled, I am useless to fill someone elses.