Intentional, more than meaningful

A good number of people would likely say my life is pretty meaningless. I make no money, contribute little to society, and my existence is fairly inconsequential (I still haven't stumbled onto that great invention to make me a gazillionaire). 

Yet, every day I try to read, write (either here or in a handwritten journal), exercise, pray/meditate, do something around the house, be available for my wife and kids, and get sufficient rest. It's something I want to be very intentional about. 

Perhaps that is enough.

In Brian Moryken's Renovare newsletter from last Friday he noted how setting intentions is different from demanding meaning from something. He recently took a six-week sabbatical and was gifted a sign that read: THIS DOES NOT HAVE TO BE MEANINGFUL. The sabbatical was an intentional setting aside of time for rest and delighting in God. God may choose to reveal meaning in the process, or not.

Mike Woodruff's Friday Update, also from last Friday, started with this piece:

 "Teach us to number our days, that we may harvest a heart of wisdom." (Moses, Psalm 90:12)

The first words that get my attention are us and our. As with the start of the Lord’s Prayer—Our Father…—Moses emphasizes that we’re in this together. But for me, the passage’s punch comes with harvest. Some translations use gain instead, but I think harvest rightly stresses that growth takes work. Growing old happens without our effort. Not so with wisdom. We don’t wake up one day to discover that while we were not paying attention, we lost weight and learned Spanish. Many of the chronologically superior are old. Not as many are wise. Lord, teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

We can spend our lives trying to make them meaningful... which may or may not happen, but will most likely lead us to exhaustion either way. And I've done that...

Or perhaps just offer up to God some intentional daily practices whereby He might do in me whatever he sees fit. Whether I'm becoming wiser or not I do not know, but it seems to be healthier for my soul.