INTENTIONS

My mother gave most of her advice and counsel in the form of short proverbial statements. One of those sayings that was often directed to me; although I am certain it was totally undeserved and misdirected, was; “the road to hell is paved with good intentions. As in, “you didn’t finish your homework…the road to…” or “you didn’t brush your teeth…the road…” or “you went to sleep without saying your prayers…the…” or “you didn’t mow the lawn…” This all took place before I reached my teenage years, so you can imagine how many times “the road to hell is paved with good intentions” came up in our verbal exchanges during those ‘rebellious’ years. I'm not sure, but I may have had scaring dreams about how near the gates of fire my well paved path had been laid. Lest this self deprecating confession session becomes the major issue of this paper, let me get to the central issue I wish to write about today.

Although I think I understood and still understand the meaning of my mother’s words, I also think because of the frequency I had of experiencing the ringing of this phrase in my ears, I have been moved to ponder during numerous moments upon the principle of ‘intentions’ and where they might or might not lead.

First: I don’t think all intentions are good, but come in a rather endless continuum ranging from the most righteous to the most evil.

Second: I think that intentions which are never acted upon affect the non diligent creator of the intention regardless of which side of the continuum the intention might be found and that the paved stones do not necessarily always lead in a downward direction.

Third: I don’t think that with our limited wisdom we are gifted with the clairvoyance to know where our self initiated intentions lie on the intentions continuum or where they might lead whether they are acted upon or not.

Fourth: I think that there are many very good intentions that we think of, that never should be acted upon since one’s actions might lead to the loss of an opportunity for a brother or sister to grow.

Fifth: I think that there are many people who have very bad intentions and are continually active in trying to bring them to fruition and that through acting upon these bad intentions they put more stones on their paths to Hades than good intentions which are never acted upon.

I have noticed that the intentions of others whether they act upon them or not or whether they be good or bad have little lasting affect upon my life unless I make allowance for that affect and any residual emotion which I might allow to linger.

Seventh: I think that those most deeply blessed or cursed as a result of any intention are the creators and actuators of that intention and others receive only temporary and partial blessings or cursings.

Eighth: I eventually have come to understand that the place that Dante explored in his ‘Hell’ and frightened me in my young conscious and unconscious mind, does not exist nor ever has existed. So I came to wonder whether by my intentions I was paving a way to somewhere or to nowhere. If the answer turned out to be nowhere then the question of ‘intentions’ was of no importance all along.

Ninth: On the other hand, in Colombia it has often been said; “the intention is the only thing that counts.”

My intention in reporting about my pondering upon ‘intentions’ was never meant to excuse my slothfulness nor to denigrate the borrowed and oft repeated wisdom of my mother, but I have discovered that is just the way I flow through life; forever driven to go deeper and broader until I finally reach a point where I have to ask myself if what I have been moved to ponder about is really worth the conclusions I have come to. Thankfully, I generally find that some growth has taken place and that I arrive at a place in my thoughts which, if hearkened to, places a small stone on the Highway to Heaven.

What would I inscribe upon the small stone which I have finally felt comfortable in adding to the pathway to Heaven after having contemplated over the years upon intentions? How do I fulfill my desire and feel secure in being on the positive side of the intention continuum? How do I know that I am laying stones which will guide me back to My Father’s presence? How do I know that the stepping stones I am laying will not become stumbling blocks to my neighbors?

At the present time in my journey this is what I find written upon this small stone: “I must diligently strive to have Spirit guided intentions and Spirit guided actions which I should endeavor to fulfill to the extent I might currently be capable. That through diligent obedience to this Spirit influenced direction of intentions and actions I will be lengthening my path leading to a very real place which my Father in Heaven has prepared. That while I focus on my concerns of constructing this heavenward path, I do not in so doing create obstacles which my brothers and sisters might find difficult to overcome during their Heavenly homeward journey.”