So I prayed about it. I asked God what He was wanting me to share. What did it mean to post fuel for the weekend? What was the topics He wanted me to cover? In my spirit, I heard the word "intentional." So I looked up the definition of intentional. I know my definition but I thought I would look up an official definition to see what it said and a quick google search defined intentional as "done on purpose, deliberate."
My husband and I started brainstorming. I mean, I could talk about intentional parenting, intentional use of time, intentional management of money, or intentional time spent with God. So Paul found something online that spoke to him and he shared it with me in hopes I would get some ideas on what direction to go in. He read a scripture and I immediately knew that I had to share this scripture and I knew exactly what to share today. Let's look at the text first.
1 Corinthians 10:31
Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
This scripture could be the power verse for the word intentional. Whatever you do, do it all for God's glory. The words we speak, the thoughts we think, the books we read, the time we spend, the things we watch, the music we hear, the food we eat, the beverages we consume, let it all be intentional in honoring God.
This post is going up on Friday and it is my desire that what I share today will get you through the weekend. Maybe this post will help you and me deliberately live out our faith in such a way that everything we do honors God. Instead of waiting to see what happens this weekend, and hopefully we will give God some of our time, why not do it on purpose? Intentionally seek out things that will glorify God. If you have been meaning to send out note cards to people you care about, spend a few minutes and just do it. Have you wanted to go visit a friend or loved one, but you just can't seem to work out the schedules and you kind of put it off another week? Why not go this weekend? Have you wanted to ask someone to go to church, or introduce them to Christ, but you don't want to seem pushy or offensive? Ask them for coffee, or grab some lunch, or meet at the park and take a walk. Make it happen!
The truth is time marches on and does not wait for anyone. We are all given the same 24 hours in the day. We all have to sleep a certain number of hours, we spend some time doing necessary things like going to work or school, or spending time being responsible, and then we all have a certain amount of free time. We may use it on social media, mindless channel-surfing, binge-watching movies, shopping, or something else, but could we just carve out some time to do something for God; something that has eternal consequences?
On December 29, 2013, my daughter had been 12 for two days, and this was the day of her birthday party to be celebrated with family. We went to my dad's music studio that had been converted into a makeshift church and we sang to God, prayed, and did all the church things like we did each week. We were in prayer for my dad who was too sick to walk the short distance to the building from the house. The stage 4 colon cancer had spread throughout his whole body and the doctor did not give him any hope. We hurried up to the house where we were going to eat and celebrate my beautiful daughter. What a gift she is! My dad and I had prayed that God would open my womb and He blessed me with two beautiful children.
On that particular day in December, after the celebration, we all said goodbyes and kissed and hugged my dad. My sister, my brother-in-law, and my niece had left right around the time that my husband, our son, and I left. My nephew and my daughter stayed to spend some extra time with their uncle, their Nana, and Papaw Huey. My dad never told people "bye" because he always said it sounded so final. He would always say "see ya later!" That day he hugged and kissed us and we said we loved each other and when we said "bye," no one caught it at the time, but my dad said, "Bye!" to my sister and her family and to me and mine.
A few short hours later I got a call on my cell phone from the birthday girl! She was crying and sobbing and said, "Mom! Papaw's not breathing!" I immediately sat forward in the truck. We were on our way to pick her up anyway, but now we had to get there quick!
"What do you mean he's not breathing? Is it hard for him to get air again?" He had just had 2 Liters of fluid taken from his lungs. I thought he was having trouble moving air.
"I don't know Mom. I think he's gone!"
"Nooooooooooooooooooo! Nooooooooooo! He can't be! I'm not ready! Are you sure?"
I called an ambulance, hoping she was wrong, hoping that he just needed another trip to the hospital to get it all taken care of. I knew in my soul that he was gone though and I did not like that feeling at all. I burst into tears and my son started crying. Paul got us safely to my mom and dad's though I felt like we were driving as slow as a snail. I hurried inside. There was my precious daddy, leaned back in the recliner, still warm, and I prayed he would still be alive. I was so sad. I cannot describe to you the grief that I felt as I took my daddy in my arms for the last time and cried on his chest like I had a thousand times before as a child, and this time I said, "Noooo! Please God! I wasn't ready!"
After Dad's funeral, I had to go back to the university where I was studying to become a Licensed Practical Nurse. I cannot count the times I picked up the phone to call my dad and tell him something, and then I remembered I could not do that anymore. I would drive by a restaurant he liked and I would think about getting him something to eat, and then I remembered I could not do that anymore. I would hear a song on the radio that I knew he would like, and I would start to remind myself to tell him about it when I saw him next, but then I remembered I could not do that anymore. I would walk to the bedroom when I walked into their house, to greet my daddy, but then in the kitchen just before I walked through the door of his room, I remembered I could not do that anymore.
Friends, life is short! The Bible says in James 4:14, Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. I don't care if you are 60 years old like my sweet daddy, or 16 years old like my sweet cousin who was killed in a drunk driving accident, life is short. Death is certain. Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.
Do not think you have a lot of time left to do the things you want, because even if you survive another day, week, or year; your loved ones might not. Don't think you can always get that recipe from your grandmother, or you can always tell your mom you're sorry, or you'll have more time to forgive that person that hurt you. Your friend might not be here tomorrow. What difference can it make if you visit that person in the nursing home, or in jail, or in the hospital? Maybe it won't seem like a big deal to you, just a few minutes of your time, but it can mean so much to the person you are spending that time on.
Time is a precious commodity. Don't waste it, friends. Let's be intentional this weekend about listening to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Who can you encourage? What is the best way you can spend your time? Do that thing you keep putting off until you get more time. The time is now! Be mindful of the time you are given and use it wisely, before it runs out! I want to give you strength for your journey and light for your way this weekend!
God bless you!
~Bridgett Owens
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