What About Intention?

In a comment to the discussion about "Ownership" magdala left this gem:

"am I trying to figure out how ownership, simple possession of an object, resolves itself when the owner desires to keep the object available for the use he intended?"

It is that concept of INTENTION that has me thinking this morning, because it seems to me that, in fact, it is the intent of the Master in the M/s dynamic, that shifts the direction of His/Her action upon the slave from that of possession to something "other." Without intent, there would be no real reason for anything much else to occur beyond the mere possessing itself. Perhaps, in fact, it is the intent, and not the ownership that is most germane to the whole dynamic in the first place...

Magdala paints the pictures of the bath towel (playing off of metaphors that I set up earlier) that needs washing to remain useful, and of sterling flatware that requires polishing upon use, and careful storage to retain the luster that makes it so lovely. If I understand the question behind the pictures, she is attempting to make some sense of what the responsibilities are for maintenance and upkeep of "owned" objects that are INTENDED for use, and not merely acquired and then put away and forgotten or kept indefinitely unused. The further question I think, in the case of slaves (like me, or like her) in this context, is who bears that responsibility? She is perhaps edging toward the answer she is looking for, I suspect, in the concept of INTENT.

For me, maybe (and perhaps not for magdala or anyone else), that is to understand what my Master intends for me to be and do in this moment. I do not need to know what His overall plan is; what His long-range goal for me might be; what He expects of me next week or next month or next year. I need to do my best to comprehend what use He has for me in this present time, and how He intends that I should fulfill that role. I then need to work to accomplish that work in whatever way I can best do so. That is likely to include, but not be limited to, doing some self-maintenance and self-improvement in the mix.

It is entirely possible, even probable, that His INTENT will bring Him to act toward me in ways that bring about my betterment. He will seek my health, my happiness, my overall well-being. These actions on His part will serve His intentions for use of His property in my person. That reality does not impinge on my service to Him. It is His side of the equation; out of my control entirely. Energy that I invest in thinking about what He "should" or "ought" to be doing in that regard takes me away from my own focus and service.

There is some humbling in that division and realization. It is hard at some level to know that the decisions for and about your own care are made at two different levels: that you are given a degree of responsibility for self-maintenance BECAUSE you are property, and that the overall decisions for your care and well-being derive from the intention of One who chooses to care for you BECAUSE you are property.

Settling into that reality can bring struggle or peace.

swan