Intentionality

Every year one word comes up repeatedly - it becomes my "theme" for the year. This year it seems that word is intentionality. After hearing it from Bible studies, friends, and at church, I finally decided to sit up and pay attention.

What is intentionality? To me right now it means maximizing each moment of each day. As Jim Elliott said, "Wherever you are, be all there. Live to the hilt every situation that you believe to be the will of God." Ephesians 5:16 puts it this way "See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil."

This doesn't mean I won't ever turn on Hulu or hit snooze on the alarm. For me it means constantly evaluating what my priority needs to be at the moment, focusing on that priority, and taking opportunities to incorporate my overall goals into each day (more on the goals below).

Applying this concept means evaluating how I spend my time and being intentional about where I spend it. For instance- using my commute to listen to sermons or recite verses (recite not memorize ;). Using nursing sessions to pray for other families instead of browsing Facebook (or online shopping, a nursing mom's kryptonite). Actively seeking opportunities to encourage others, especially people I cross paths without really thinking about (like cashiers).

It's so easy to let the mundane activities of each day overwhelm the eternal reality we sing about on Sunday. I believe the words I sing on Sunday, but it's Tuesday night, I'm trying to get the toddler to eat veggies, I have about 28 hours of work to do after she goes to bed, and the baseboards need dusting again! I forget about intentionality in the name of survival (and I only have 1 kid!).

I'm ashamed to admit I take my salvation for granted. This part is so embarrassing and true... My life is amazing, and one aspect of why it is amazing is the security that comes from knowing that I've been forgiven and redeemed.  But with that security comes a complacency that prevents me from even thinking about sharing that redemption with others. If we all had a disease, and I found the cure, but kept it to myself, how selfish would that make me? We do have a disease, and I am grateful every day for the grace that I found - but I don't explicitly share it. Sharing that grace and abiding in that grace is part of my overall life goal - where I'm at right now is working on intentionally using my time to make that goal happen.

Ideas are welcome!