Love is intentional!  Love notices people, sees needs, reaches out, responds, takes action … and follows up on the intent to do so!  Love is not passive or disengaged.  With loving actions and responses, we change the course of our futures, and that of other people as well (it makes a difference!).

Earlier this summer I jotted in my journal: “Intentionality:  How can we reach out?  Show love?  Create beauty?  Create fun?  (Invite friends over.)”  These good things don’t just happen by accident in our lives.  They happen when we are thoughtful and imagine the possibilities, then follow through and take action to make that which is good and loving happen!

For me, sticky notes help me be intentional about all sorts of things.  (I also like Google Keep on my phone, as it’s great for making lists or notes wherever I am.)

This is sticky-note corner…. The place where my to-do’s of the day or week tend to reside!

For me, using sticky notes:

• Reduces stress so I’m not thinking about these things all the time!  (I get things off my mind when I write them down.)
• Prevents me from forgetting things & people that matter.
• Enables me to be intentional.
• Helps me see everything and prioritize.  (This can include long-term projects, like yard care.)
• Gives me a tangible ways to keep track of thoughts, responsibilities, and people I’m thinking of!

Practical responsibilities, like errands to run or things to do around the house, are important because they are a foundational part of caring for my family or other people in the community (dinner for our family, a bill paid to the dentist…).

I also jot down names of people to call back, text, or get together with.  I often think of people at inconvenient times – like 10:30 at night!  And then I forget…  And how often do we suggest getting together with someone, and then not follow up?  Living a life of love means being intentional to reach out and respond to the people we love and whom God has put on our hearts.

What helps you be intentional with loving the people in your life?