A Real Good Life by Sazan and Stevie Hendrixናሙና

I used to think that intention meant something that I was sorta kinda planning to do or something I was hoping to make happen. Think about it; when we forget to send a thank you note to a friend for a kind gift they gave us, we say, “I intended to send a thank you, but…” Or we say that we’ve been intending to get more serious about our health or that we intend to find a faith community that helps us grow and connect…but. Intention in the way we use it seems to often be followed by a "but."

In reality, setting an intention is far more concrete than I originally thought. It actually means to turn your attention to something, to direct your attention to that thing. That’s a lot more focused and far more purposeful than how we usually talk about intention. What it says to me is that if I’m setting an intention for the day, it’s much more than a wish for how I hope the day will go. It’s more than a general sense of what would make for the kind of day I’d like to see.

It means I’m choosing. I’m deciding what I’m going to pay attention to. I’m taking the finite budget of time I’ve been given for this day, and I’m sliding the coins that make up those moments across the table in the direction of good. Of peace. Of love. . . .

Here’s the thing. You’re going to end up somewhere at the end of this day. You’re moving toward something. You’re steering there, whether you realize it or not. I’m all for letting a day unfold as it will, but when we make that our main way of navigating through life, we could end up veering closer to the frustrating, the dissatisfying, and the unfulfilling. Why does this happen? It’s because of what I like to call accidental intention.

I know, I’m mixing two words that shouldn’t be related. But that’s the point. We often head where we don’t intend. And it takes some course correction to start this one day in the right direction.

Prayer

Lord, I want to live with intention. Please help me structure my day so that I can keep my focus on you and your will for me. Amen.