Living with Intention . . .

It's a "new" year. We all begin a new year with good intentions, which leads me to ponder the life of someone who always "lived with intention": the quality of having a purpose in mind. 


I recall Ben telling me, whenever we went shopping, "now FOCUS"!! Easy for him because it's something he did most of his life. His intent would reach out like fingers, weaving pathways like a spider weaves a web. Each piece of that web had a specific purpose -- to accomplish an aim or objective, whether it was a project, to make a new friend, or care about a family member. That web began to resemble a family tree, with each branch or strand extending to another. He was totally focused on what he was working toward: living his life with the intention of living it right. In thinking about all of this, I'm experiencing what is commonly known as "hindsight". But when I really focus on 'intention', I'm so drawn to the fact that Ben not only understood, but lived this Bible verse:


Ecclesiastes 3:


there is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.


I'm overwhelmed at the task ahead of me. Baby steps. One thing at a time. My life, until now, has been akin to rainfall following the path of least resistance; crossing a river by carefully stepping on the sturdiest rocks rather than using the strong bridge. But I've been good at it, landing on my feet most of the time. However, with few exceptions, I haven't been truly intent on my purpose. I've had good teachers, but my attention span is fleeting. I suppose that it's with age that I am reconsidering my approach, and reflecting on those teachings. They say it's never too late, so there you have my New Year's resolution.


And I leave you with my lesson learned . . .


"What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others."
                                                       ~ Pericles

Ben did a lot of weaving.  And now it's up to me to do the same.

Just had to use this picture again. That card

has been stuck in it forever!