Intentional

Sometimes you're not invited.  Sometimes nobody talks to you.  Sometimes you feel just plain left out.

And it's not intentional.  Most of the time, people really don't mean to do it.

And truthfully, you don't mean to do it either, but you sometimes do.

It's not on purpose.

Life is busy. Kids are crazy.  Work is stressful.  The house is messy.

You've barely got time to think about what's for dinner.  Me, I've got a child turning nine at the end of the week and I've barely had time to think about a party and I just bought her a present.  I would never, ever intentionally forget her big day.  I would never put it off on purpose.

That doesn't mean it hasn't happened.

Sometimes I'm not invited to something, or my kids are not.  Sometimes I feel completely alone in a crowd. Sometimes I feel just plain left out, and so do my kids.

And when I think about it rationally, when I let the Holy Spirit minister to me in the sadness of it, I give the benefit of the doubt, I think the best of people, and realize it was not intentional.

And the Lord teaches me through it.

To be one who is Intentional.

About seeking out the lonely.

About finding a face to smile into.

About starting a conversation.

About inviting not just friends but those who could be friends.

About noticing people and loving people.

I will do many things that were unintentional and not on purpose.

But I hope to do even more things that are.