A Call to Journal

My last post started with these words: 

 "There are two types of people in the world..." 

 The post dealt with list-makers, but there are so many other "two types of people in the world" categories. It's one of my favorite conversation starters, and it's a fun way to really know somebody. You see, the "two types of people in the world" categories are not items in a scale-of-one-to-ten score; they are either/or. You can't be in-between or sometimes one and sometimes the other. For example: 

  • Coffee-drinkers and non
  • Readers and non
  • Stranger Things fans and non
  • Doodlers and non
  • Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream fans and non
  • Those of the "Princess Bride is the best movie ever" opinion and those who are wrong
These items are polarizing; I bet you said for each one "Yep; I am hard-core X but not the other." That's the power of the "two types of people in the world" list.

 A few years ago, I would have put "people who journal and those who don't" on the list. It probably still belongs there; some people can't live without journaling and some would never pick up that pen. 

 Personally, I'm a journaler. My whole life, I've had a journal. Literally, for as long as I can remember, I've written out my thoughts, my fears, my daily activities and my dreams. My 9-year old daughter has at least a half-dozen scattered around her room right now; my 11-year old son has two that I gave him with a total of zero words in them. 

 Some of us are geared toward journaling; some are not. But my goal today is to encourage you to start the habit of journaling, regardless of which tendency you were born with. 

 Why?
It's a great way to sort out your thoughts. Whether fears or questions or information overload, writing out your thoughts makes you really, really, think through what's racing in your mind. Many times I've poured out my heart to God, only to see my fears diminished when I saw in my own handwriting how very silly or human or me-sounding my words are. 

 It's the perfect avenue for prayer. If you struggle to stay focused in prayer, write it out. The act of writing forces you to slow down and put your full attention on the words you're sending to God. Also, I've often had God answer the nagging prayer that had danced on my fears but never been addressed in words of faith. Write the words, lay them out for God, and sit quietly as His Spirit stirs your spirit to hear.

 It's like a timeline of your life. Because I'm that life-long journaler, I've got dozens (and dozens) of journals in my basement. Whenever I want a good laugh or an infusion of faith, I pull one out. From college in the 1990s through today, I can trace the hand of God in my life, regardless of whether or not I even write His name. I remember some of the items in my journal like it was yesterday: the pain and the joy and the crazy are just as real when I look back. But sometimes I don't even know what my 20-year-old self was talking about. What seemed like a big deal on that day doesn't even register now. It makes me see that 1) I will make it 2) God is always there and 3) My steps of faith started long, long before today.

 Words from the past give comfort and encouragement today. When I read back through those old journals, I remember that girl from decades and seasons past. I'm more compassionate to others in that stage of life. I'm more realistic in my own limits and weaknesses and strength. Paul's words in Romans 15:4 explain it perfectly: "For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope," (NKJV). Just as we read the Bible and find ourselves in the words, we get the same hope in our own God-inspired words. 

 If there was ever a perfect time to start journaling, it's during the months of the COVID-19 panic. We'll never forget these days. Everything will hinge on these months: "Oh, that was before the coronavirus quarantine." "I met him after social distancing in 2020." START TODAY. You're going to want to remember your prayers, your fears, your hopes, and your statements of resolve. You're going to want to pass those words on to your kids, your friends, and your future self when you're facing something life-shaking like this again. 

 And in case you want a few ideas of exactly what to journal, here are some of my favorites:
Scriptures that tell me who God is/who I am
Prayers
People who ask me to pray and what those prayers are
Bible verses that make perfect prayers
Hebrew and Greek word studies
Word art
Diagrams of Scriptures 
Lists (of course) of verses by topic
Poems and creative writings based on what I'm praying for, studying, or living
Daily fun/stressors/funny things my kids do or say

 If you're insisting that you're still not a journaler, you're excused; maybe there are only two types of people in the world in this category. But I encourage you to intentionally remember these days, focusing on God's faithfulness and our shortcomings. Your life is worth remembering.

 Love and hope,
Leslie

  

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