Intentional...

Intentional...Intentional....Intentional.

That has been the buzz word as of late for me! It keeps buzzing into my ears and then it lingers in my heart after I hear it!

So, what does it mean??: conscious, deliberate, intended, knowing, purposeful, purposive, set, voluntary, willed, willful (or wilful), witting....

The context in which this word keeps coming up is RELATIONALLY.

So, what does it look like to be INTENTIONAL in RELATIONSHIPS??

Well, let me say that in the beginning of most relationships we have- we try to reach out to the other person. We call, write, see them as often as we can, perhaps we do things for them that we know they will like, we say sweet and encouraging things to them...basically, we do and say what we can when a relationship is new to let the other person know we care about them and the relationship we have with them.

Sooner or later, we reach a point in most relationships, however, where we kinda sorta don't keep doing all of that. I am not sure if we just get to a place where we feel like the other person should know we care by now, or we just don't realize that we are no longer placing as much energy there because we have started placing our energy in other places.

I am convinced that LOVE is what makes the world go round. I am a big fan of LOVE! I wear lots of "heart jewelry" and even have a "heart tattoo". I value relationships above all else! People are important to me and it is important that people I know - know they are valued and important to me.

Hmmmm....what I have realized lately, though, is that I am not always as intentional as I could or should be in making sure people know I care. I am usually not as intentional about it as I was when the relationship first began.

I am working on that now... No matter how long I have been in a relationship with a person, it is imperative that they KNOW they are still as important today as they were the day our relationship began! Heck, they are MORE important today!!!!

In the day-to-day living I do I am going to be sure I pray for them. I am going to be more intentional about keeping in touch. (With all the technology we have today that shouldn't be so hard!) Phone calls, emails, writing on their facebook wall, a text...make a "Skype Date", hopefully, setting up travel dates!

The people that are physically closer to me...I am going to turn the distrations off- the music, the TV...so we can TALK. Make plans with them to do things together...go back to the basics...SHOW them INTENTIONALLY that they matter as I use words of encouragement, serve them when I can, spend time with them, hug them- pat them on the back, and as I can, give them little gifts.

Love is action...showing someone that I love them means I must DO something. I cannot just assume they know I care. I must be INTENTIONAL!


So, let me start here...if you are one of the people I have not been being intentional with about letting you know you matter to me, you DO matter! And starting now, let me try to reach out and remind you of how special you are!! :)