How are you?

How many times a day are you asked that very question?  And how many times a day do you simply answer good or fine?  Now seriously give it some thought and if you are like me you will be alarmed by how many times that happens.

When I was at Pine Cove this became extremely evident to me during my final week during my eval with my director my first summer.  He said something to me that has stuck with me ever since and it was that when I ask someone how they are, I truly want to know.  I never realized that about myself, but it is true.  I do want to know.

A few years later my bible study group and I were going through a very though provoking study and this was one of the topics one week.  The week before we had discussed wearing masks and this followed the next week.  It was one that none of us could deny and we spoke about months after the study was over.  We could not believe how true it was that we all just said 'fine' or 'well'... what is well?, and moved on with our day.  Most of the time it never crossed our minds that someone was actually being intentional and really wanted to know our heart. 

Now I will admit, one thing we discussed was that 'how are you?' for some is just a greeting, but for those that are being intentional we should give them an answer.  And for that fact, those that aren't necessarily being intentional we should give them an answer anyways and see what happens!

A topic that I frequently have with my good friend Jessica is about being intentional.  How can we be intentional in each other's lives, lives of others, and in our daily walk with the Lord.  This all comes back to 'how are you?'.  I must admit that Jessica is one of those friends that brings out the best in me, and she knows just how to do it.  My favorite times with her are normally our first night together after we have gone months without seeing each other.  After we get over the initial you are here and girly screaming, she gets serious and starts with how am I and then slowly progresses through life and my walk with Christ.

The first few times she did this it caught me off guard.  Now I yearn for that time together and when we are not together I cherish our phone calls even more.  But why is it that every relationship is not that way?  One of my answers to that question is that our friendship is Christ centered.

So how can we be intentional in every relationship whether it is Christ centered, or not?  Is it out of our comfort zones to be intentional in all of our relationships?

One thought is that all relationships should be Christ centered.  Ideally this would be a mutual understanding, but if a  relationship is not there yet between the two people it should be through prayer.  The Lord answers bold prayers, and for an introvert like me being intentional in all relationships is a bold prayer.

As far as the second question, you bet ya!  It is out of my comfort zone to be intentional in all relationships, or at least out of my comfort zone.  Partly because it is easy not to be intentional and in order to truly be intentional it is a two way street.  I will be the first to admit that with most people it takes a while to truly pull back the layers and open up with them, and I believe that this is one of the first steps of being intentional.

So I must ask you a question, dear friends.  How are you?


This is good and I so agree! Being intentional is important and yet so hard sometimes.

How am I? I'm just okay, struggling a bit with changed the Lord is bring to my life, big changes. But trusting Him to care for me as He always has and I know always will.