I meant to call her on her birthday….

I had intended to send him a package….

I said we’d stay in touch…

I wanted to help but….

I seem to say this to myself all too often these days and I think actually it’s a good thing. The road to hell is paved with good intentions. This phrase was first published in Henry G. Bohn’s A Hand-book of Proverbs in 1855. It appeared first in a newspaper in 1831, and it seems to resonate with me now.

I am classic for meaning well. I join organizations with plans to make big contributions with grand ideas. I frequently think about sending gifts for the holidays and birthdays, having family photo cards made and putting together helpful packages to give to the homeless. But these plans for small acts of kindness never seem to form into fruition. And it’s not that I don’t care, it’s because something always come up to distract me that, in the moment, takes precedence.

Does this make me a bad person? Am I paving my own road to hell? I sure hope not.

I think of this phrase more often because I hope to hold myself more accountable. Even though I often pile too much on my plate, it feels good to help out. It feels right. And more importantly, I hope to serve God and set the example for my own children.

So I will keep trying, and do my best to not get discouraged when I hopelessly fail to follow through on another good intention. I will remember it’s not about me, it’s about showing others that they are loved and important.