Intentionally Intentional

I love intentional people. People who are not an unresponsive victim of their circumstances, but rather are deliberately responding to the heat and rain of their lives and the lives of others. I love me some Dr. Gary Chapman, but I think there are actually 6 love languages. The sixth one being intentionality. I guess it could be a sub category of quality time, but I think it's WAY meatier, because intentionality doesn't necessarily require an abundance of time. Someone just sent me a text this morning that didn't take me longer than 30 seconds to read, but the message was so intentional that I was BEYOND blessed by her words and encouragement.

Intentionality.

In my old age of 32, mother of four children, and lover to my best friend; I find myself redefining what is important, redefining where I spend my energy and efforts, redefining what is worthy of my investment in a Pinterest obsessed world, screaming at me to invest in everything extraordinary. Grief has this beautifully strange way of limiting your output ability. Grief requires some hibernation of the heart and mind.  I'm not going to lie, some of the most freeing, life-giving moments of my life have taken place in the passed sixteen months under the umbrella of being completely spent emotionally, mentally, and physically. I have had to say 'no' to so much because there was simply no energy for 'yes'. I had to cocoon for myself a safe place to process and walk through (instead of around) my grief. Because of deep grief, I feel confident that I know myself, my heart, my emotions, my limitations, and have a clearer understanding of exactly why I am who I am, and why I am doing what I am doing. I stand in awe that God so meticulously used a dark and heavy time in my life to shed light on the inner-most parts of my soul. Only a great and intentional God could do such a sweet and perfect work.

Each of us has a different set of white noise pining for our attention and energy. The white noise around me has to be intentionally put to death day by day, because so much of it does not deserve my attention or my energy. I have given myself a permission slip in so many categories in my life, and it feels so AMAZING!

Recently, through teary eyes, I asked a group of safe people to offer me a permission slip to not be in love with every aspect of my life right now, they graciously and abundantly extended me a permission slip, and helped me take down the 'For Sale' sign in my yard. Intentional friends. Intentionally meeting me where I am, intentionally handing me a permission slip. Provers 27:9 Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from intentional counsel.

If we refuse to be intentional in the most intimate relationships we have on this earth, we lose. Time will eat up the moments we lackadaisically blow to the wind, and the white noise will win out each time. And let me warn you, sometimes the white noise looks appealing and "good" from the outside, but will suck you dry of life and liberty quicker than a mosquito on the fourth of July.  

Maybe it's time for some self inventory. Maybe it's time to start being more intentionally intentional. Trust me, if I've learned anything in my life it is this; life is way too precious to waste on the white noise!

Here is to chartering a pathway of intentional people!!
Move over Gary, we're rewriting history.

~Sara