Moving with intention and purpose

I feel like the Lord has really been speaking to my heart about the importance of being intentional and purposeful in my life, whether it's in my speaking or doing or creating or mothering or decorating or whatever and in whatever. God, thee Creator of all, took His time in His creating. He spoke with intention and with purpose and in that speaking it brought life and beauty and wonders beyond our own mind's understanding. He was not rushed or hurried when He created the world and He is still not rushed or hurried with each of us. He is so patient and long-suffering with us. 

He is so perfectly detailed in all that He does and spends time creating beauty in all that He touches. He spends seasons and years and lifetimes walking with us through our days and crafting us more and more into His image as we very slowly and sometimes very painfully release our tight grip we hold on our lives and allow Him to have His way with us.

The other day, as Moriyah (10yrs) was drawing a butterfly's wing, she stopped and started talking to me about how wonderfully detailed the Lord is. As she was realizing how hard it was to draw all the details on a butterfly's wing, and that that was only one out of all the ones that God has made, she was amazed by our Creator's attention to detail which opened up a whole lot more talking about our wonderful Creator. He is so detailed and intentional. Life and goodness and purpose is in everything He does. I loved that my daughter could see that in something as simple as drawing a picture. 

So if our Creator takes His time, then so should we. What we do matters. What we say matters. How we live our lives matters. Whether intentional or unintentional, our lives make an imprint in this world, for good or not for good. Slowing down our lives and decisions and allowing beauty to unfold in its time is of so much more value than trying to rush to the next moment. Anxiety floods me when I'm rushed or in a hurry or feel pressured to produce or be something. Peace comes in the patient waiting and seeking. 

"But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promises, as some count slackness, but is long-suffering towards us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." - 2 Peter 3:8-9

What beautiful truth that is! I'm so thankful that the Lord isn't swayed by the quickness and hurriedness of this world, but that He remains patient. He remains long-suffering. He remains kind. He remains loving and forgiving and His "faithfulness reaches to the clouds." (Ps.36:5)