Intent: Living A Life Of Purpose

"It happens in a blink, it happens in a flash

It happens in the time it took to look back

I try to hold on tight, but there's no stopping time

What is it I've done with my life?" 

~ Blink Revive 

How do you live? 

Do you live each day in a blur of work, projects, traffic, noise and chaos, only to look back each night with regret wondering where on earth your day went? 

Do you have a mental list of:

"I'd like to…"

"I want to…" 

or maybe

"One day I plan to…" 

Well, if you do... you're not alone… this is a common struggle. Yet it feels so good to know we are actually doing something we want to accomplish or believe in to be important... whether it's a project around the house, taking that long overdue vacation, learning a new skill, or just helping others…

It's living with intentional purpose. 

It's following through on something we believe has value. 

I've been trying to live a bit more intentionally. Time is not forever. Like you, I won't always be here and only God knows when each of us will reach the finish line and cross over to the other side. 

We each have the ability to live with more purpose, with more intent and not let the hours go by each day without having helped someone, without having made a difference. 

Last December my kids and I assembled blessing bags to distribute to people who are homeless. It has been a humbling few months handing out these blessing bags filled with granola bars, toothbrush & toothpaste sets and deodorant with slips of scripture tucked in. People you wish you could give more to and yet giving a bag of essentials and a snack is always met with a thankful heart, grateful look and kind words spoken. 

However fleeting, I know what it's like to go without some mere basics. Leaving home at seventeen with a picture ID in my pocket and six measly dollars... it doesn't take Einstein to know it doesn't go far. I always had shelter but I knew my situation was precarious and I was relying on others to provide a place for me to live and for safety. Being without basics and shelter is something no one should go through, to endure, yet it happens everyday. Some people might chalk it up to bad choices and turn away, choosing to ignore... but that doesn't help anyone. If any one of us were in their shoes I know, guaranteed, we'd be praying for shelter, food, a helping hand, a break however big or small. 

Recently when stopped in a center lane at an extremely long red light and large intersection, I turned my flashers on, exited my vehicle and walked a blessing bag to an elderly man asking for help. To my surprise, the guy stopped in traffic behind me was exiting his truck to do the same thing. At that moment our eyes locked and we smiled the same language... love. 

Purpose... 

I want to live with purpose. I want the busyness to fade away. I want to turn my flashers on a moment and say "Wait, just a minute" to life and declare what is important in that moment, that second, that that takes precedence over "busy".

God wants us to live with purpose. With intentionality. The days go by in a blur and yet we don't have to subscribe to a whirlwind of life where everything passes by in a kaleidoscope of color. We can stop the spinning, we can take the reins and bring the ride to a halt. 

We can say: 

"Today I'm doing something however big or small I've been putting off. Something that I believe is important..." and maybe even more important... "Something lovely that will speak to others, that will exude warmth, happiness and a giving heart... something that will further the kingdom of God and spread joy." 

We each have the ability to live like that. 

Some may say "But you don't understand... I just don't have time. I'm too busy." or "Maybe I can when my life gets to a better place... right now things are really bad... I'm in a tough season." 

All the more reason to reach out with intention and purpose. Reaching out to others does three things... One, it helps someone in need. Two, it gets our thoughts off our own problems. Three, it pleases God to have a giving spirit. 

We all have problems. We've all had heartache. We've all had failures, disappointments, regrets, losses and bad things happen to us that we wish had never occurred... and yet were still here... and just because of trials in this journey called life we aren't to turn our back on others. We aren't to turn inward and become self absorbed... but instead to keep reaching out. 

So I continue to reach into my pocket and I hope you will too... to reach in from my heart and give outward... because it really doesn't matter whether we have six bucks in our pocket or six hundred... God looks at our heart... He wants to know whether were willing to share…


with purpose and intent.. 


toward others. 

© gps-gracepowerstrength.blogspot.com ~ 2014 

To My Readers: 

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