Intentionality...

A recent situation came up that left me thinking…a somewhat dangerous pastime for me! However, this time was different, I was left thinking about relationships and being intentional about them. Especially the ones that we don’t really want to cultivate, or even more truthfully, don’t make a genuine effort to do so. How many times do we say “Hi” to someone not even waiting to hear answers? Or if we do receive an answer, being bothered that we now have to talk with them. Empty “Hi. How are you?” greetings are easy. Simple. Quick. Non-committal. Those greetings fit in with our busy lives. 

It’s easy to get wrapped up in ourselves and what we have to get done so we can start the next thing on our list. Work? Check. Family? Check. Kids? Check. Food? Check. And the list goes on…one happy little compartmentalized world. I was made painfully aware of my misguided long list of “to do’s” one morning not long ago.

This particular day had a to-do list that was a mile long. Laundry. Grocery Store. Vacuum. Volunteer at the elementary school. Run to office…then the doorbell rang! My heart sunk! My head said things like, “Please don’t let that be a neighbor who needs something!” and “I don’t have time to buy magazines today!” and “I can’t be bothered with people! I have enough to do!” Then all of a sudden I hear a voice at the door, “Is your mommy home?” My son had answered the door!! UGH!

It was two people, a young man and a younger woman. Since it was freezing, I invited them inside to initiate conversation. I immediately figured out they were selling something and in my head had already written them off. Then the woman asked if she could show me the sales pitch so she could earn $50. I noticed that she was pregnant and being a woman (and mom) I felt compelled to help her out.

So then the fun began. Her supervisor left her in my house to begin her sales pitch. I will readily admit that I had a bad attitude before she even began. I didn’t have time. For her. For my list. For me. For anything…and I especially didn’t have time to waste. However, as she began to talk, I began to listen. And then something amazing happened…God stepped into the conversation! Just plopped down right in the middle and made himself comfy! It was then that I realized my own sin in not wanting to be “bothered” by people. Not having time to listen and invest in building relationships. Basically, not having time for God to do his work.

John 15:5 reads, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” Here, Jesus is commanding his disciples to lead a life that remains in him. But that is not something that is always easy to do. We have to be intentional about not making God part of our checklist. In wrestling with this scripture in my own life, I noticed that I had put God next to a box waiting to be to checked off. But with God, there is no distinction between all the different areas of our life. He wants to be encompassed in all of them. And for me, He has began a work around creating relationships. I have been in contact with the sales girl since she left my house that day. The rest of the afternoon with her in my home has led to some of the most blessing filled days I have experienced in quite some time. I have had several conversations with her over emails, texts, and even lunch! God has cultivated this relationship and opened up opportunities for me to share the gospel with her several times.

This new intentionality has also had a domino effect. New relationships have been put in front of me over the past few months and I am very excited to see what God has in store for them! They touch more than just my personal family life. They are beginning to touch the life of my covenant group and our Children’s Ministry here at Christ Community. It is encouraging for me to look back and see how being intentional about talking to people and sharing God’s love with them has truly changed my day to day thinking. I honestly haven’t made too many more lists!

Whitney

(Click here for audio of Whitney sharing more about this story).