I was wakened by a lot of clanging, banging noise early this morning. Pulling myself out of bed and rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I walked into the kitchen. As I gazed out the window, I saw a lot of big machinery going to and fro on the highway that is being built in front of our house; graders, water truck spraying water, rollers pressing down the chat that the big trucks were dumping, state highway pickups driving here and there; stopping occasionally to have a word with one of the machinery operators. It was indeed a welcomed sight! Construction has been going on for months on the widening of highway 62 project. I know the contractors had good intentions. I know they wanted to be done by this time. However, their good intentions were stifled by a rainy summer season.
As I stood there watching the progress, I thought about my own good intentions. I usually get up with the good intention of getting a lot of things done. Sometimes those good intentions pay off; sometimes not. Take today for example. I had good intentions about getting my house dusted, perhaps going to the grocery store, doing a bit of vacuuming and a few other little things. Yet, here I set; typing away as my mind pours out thoughts faster than my fingers can move.
How many of us have good intentions? How many of us are struck with the "intendedto" disease? And, the medication you choose for it is "doitlater".
"I intended to call you today, Mom, but..........."
"I intended to get that back step fixed before someone fell but........."
"I intended to pay the taxes before the deadline but........."
"I intended to take the car to the shop before it quit running but..........."
Do any of those sound familiar?
"I intended to get my homework done before now but..........."
"I intended to give up drinking but ..............."
"I intended to take my kids to the park but.........."
Most of the time, God gives us another change to do the things we intended to do. However, sometimes He doesn't. I remember almost 30 years ago thinking I should go across town and spend my day off visiting with my Mother and Daddy. I had good intentions to do that as soon as I finished the dishes, made the bed and a few other things. I never made it to their house that day. A few days later, I was making preparations for my Daddy's funeral.
What if we listened to that still, small voice that whispers to us about something we need to do? What if we made it a point to get our family back in church; go and visit a shut in; witness to someone we know is not a believer? What if our good intentions were carried out without question?
I learned a lesson about intentions when I didn't listen to that voice inside telling me I needed to visit my parents. Oh, I slip up; I don't always listen when I should and do what I feel I should. However, I do recognize that nudging in my heart telling me my good intentions will get me nowhere and I need to follow His nudging.
What good intentions do you have that you are ignoring? Remember, the road to nowhere is paved with good intentions.
"Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and get gain'; whereas you do not know about tomorrow. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. "James 4:13-14 RSV
As I stood there watching the progress, I thought about my own good intentions. I usually get up with the good intention of getting a lot of things done. Sometimes those good intentions pay off; sometimes not. Take today for example. I had good intentions about getting my house dusted, perhaps going to the grocery store, doing a bit of vacuuming and a few other little things. Yet, here I set; typing away as my mind pours out thoughts faster than my fingers can move.
How many of us have good intentions? How many of us are struck with the "intendedto" disease? And, the medication you choose for it is "doitlater".
"I intended to call you today, Mom, but..........."
"I intended to get that back step fixed before someone fell but........."
"I intended to pay the taxes before the deadline but........."
"I intended to take the car to the shop before it quit running but..........."
Do any of those sound familiar?
"I intended to get my homework done before now but..........."
"I intended to give up drinking but ..............."
"I intended to take my kids to the park but.........."
Most of the time, God gives us another change to do the things we intended to do. However, sometimes He doesn't. I remember almost 30 years ago thinking I should go across town and spend my day off visiting with my Mother and Daddy. I had good intentions to do that as soon as I finished the dishes, made the bed and a few other things. I never made it to their house that day. A few days later, I was making preparations for my Daddy's funeral.
What if we listened to that still, small voice that whispers to us about something we need to do? What if we made it a point to get our family back in church; go and visit a shut in; witness to someone we know is not a believer? What if our good intentions were carried out without question?
I learned a lesson about intentions when I didn't listen to that voice inside telling me I needed to visit my parents. Oh, I slip up; I don't always listen when I should and do what I feel I should. However, I do recognize that nudging in my heart telling me my good intentions will get me nowhere and I need to follow His nudging.
What good intentions do you have that you are ignoring? Remember, the road to nowhere is paved with good intentions.
"Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and get gain'; whereas you do not know about tomorrow. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. "James 4:13-14 RSV
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