Time & Intentionality

This morning I've been thinking about time. About how I never seem to have enough of it. How I feel like I am always chasing after it. Trying to catch it. Slow it down. Stop it. There are so many things to do each day.

I wish I could capture time. Keep it. Tell it to wait so that I can get everything done. Yet, I suppose I'm getting the things done that the Lord wants me to get done...or maybe not. Intentionality must play a part. If I am intentionally using my time, will I still be chasing after it? Seems not, and yet...craziness happens despite my best intentions to be intentional.

I've been pondering intentionality. Questioning what it looks like lived out and how I can stay motivated enough to be consistently intentional. I have a tendency to decide to do something and then completely forget that I made the decision to do it. There is just so much going on...time spinning fast.

I want to live an intentional life. Intentional for Christ. In every. aspect. of. my. life. Yes.

The question is:  what does an intentional or intentionally lived life look like? In real time. Time crammed full with children. School. Noise. Screaming toddlers. Sickness. Laughter. Good. Bad. Boring. Exciting. Life.

A life of purpose. A life of beauty. A life of order. A life of love. A life of sacrifice. A life of praise. A life well lived. Christ.

Yet, how? What is it? What does it look like? And how do I find time and strength to attain and maintain it? Revolutions in my mind.

Elisabeth Elliot's famous words come to mind..."do the next thing". And yet,...

I was reading another blog that I enjoy and the author was answering a question from a reader who asked how the author of the blog never got tired of being intentional. The author answered that she does get tired, but that it is a good tired. I agree. Work is good. Being intentional is good (and important), but I also agree with the questioner. Living an intentional life is not easy. It is tiring. Especially for a wife whose husband is often absent due to long work hours or other obligations. Intentionality then falls primarily on the wife/mother - and for a mother of many this can be a tiring thing. A difficult thing.

Weary. There is always the call of the couch. Do you hear it? It calls, "come and sit for you are weary". The computer calls too, "come and lose yourself in endless web pages and other's words". And books. They call too. And the shower. Ha!

As mothers we must laugh. Find humor in the crazy. Proverbs 31 says, "she laughs at the time to come". I've been thinking that we must laugh at the days that are. Today. This moment. It helps us stay sane. Or me at least.

My husband is once again teaching from 1 Peter. This book of the Bible is all about intentional living. Holy living. Glorifying God. Good works. Following Christ. And suffering. I'm going to try to carve out a few free minutes today to delve into it's pages and see what I can glean about living intentionally.

But now another is calling me from his crib. His babbles say, "Momma, come and get me. I am awake. I'm ready for the day. No more sleep. Here I am!" And so I go...to begin my intentional day or not. We shall see.

May the Lord bless you my sweet friends.