I’m so proud of myself because I started out 2012 by firmly setting good intentions to start early on my holiday preparations. I was tired of last minute everything. Taking a lesson from my good friend, Diane, who is always well ahead of the game when it comes to holiday shopping, I vowed I would follow her lead this year. Her gifts are well thought out and appropriate. Mine are sometimes panic-mode gifts. Don’t roll your eyes. You can’t tell me you’ve never bought something with the thought “they can always take it back” going through your exhausted, crowd pressed, standing in a long line mind.
Too bad good intentions are just that – intentions. There has to be some follow through or they do you no good. I just discovered that (again) as I peeked at the calendar and found myself gasping. Part of my job as HR Director is to coordinate all of the employee events and activities. We just completed a very successful employee appreciation picnic and I’ve been sitting back breathing in a sigh of relief that it’s over. While I was breathing the Halloween potluck, United Way Kick Off, and Employee Christmas Party ganged up on me.
Here’s another shocker – the holiday season activity rush facing me at work is also facing me at home. My good intentions of being organized and ahead of schedule never made it past the thought stage. I’m right where I always am this time of year – panicked. (By the way – that is not me in the picture above. If I ever looked that good while shopping I would have myself frozen in that state and never thawed!)
Once again I am reminded intention accompanied by inaction results in pretty much nothing.
I used this example in Bible study last night. A student can have every intention of getting a 4.0 grade point but if they never come to class or crack a book it’s not likely to happen. A Christian can have every intention of growing spiritually but if they never come to church, get in a study and/or open the Bible they won’t see much improvement.
If I don’t get started shopping my intention of having my shopping done early just isn’t going to pay off. I realize I’m already too late to be really early this year. But there is some room for improvement. After all, I still have 77 days. Yikes! 77 days – that’s all? I’m in big trouble.
I intend not to let this happen again next year.
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Joshua 1:8
