I’m not sure how long I’ve been saying it, but it’s been so long that I can’t remember a time when I didn’t say it.
“So, I wrote it in my journal like this.”
I’ve been journaling for some time now, and for sake of clarity, I have a journal not a diary. Meaning, I don’t write in my journal what I ate that day, or what jacket I happened to wear, or how far I happened to run… those might be interesting things to keep track of, but none of those make it into my journal.
For me, to journal is to simply write down what the LORD has been teaching me or taking me through. If you were to flip through my journal (and please don’t ever do that), you’d see Bible verses written out that I do not want to forget. You’d see prayers that I’m praying… that often equate to just a person’s name, or a word that represents a situation, or a circumstance that I want to be covering in prayer. And you’d see questions… lots and lots of questions that I’m asking. Sometimes the questions I write are directed towards the LORD, and sometimes the questions are directed towards me… those often sound like, ‘Michael, what were you thinking, or why did you do that, or say that, or think that?’
Journaling for me is more than just therapeutic… it is, but it’s so much more. I have found that when I take the time to write things out, well, those things have a way of sticking in my heart and head. For reasons unbeknownst to me, God meets me in my journaling. It’s messy and some of the things that I’m journaling about are not always pretty, but my Heavenly Father is ALWAYS gracious, patient, generous, and kind to meet me in those spaces and places.
If you’ve been to GENESIS on a Sunday, I’m not sure if you’ve noticed this before, but we actually give away journals. We put them by the doors of the sanctuary because in a not-so-subtle way, I think everyone should be journaling. I think everyone should be taking the time to write down all that God is seeking to write upon their hearts. If you’ve never grabbed one before, please take one… they are free and they are for you. And if you’ve taken some before and need more, take one and fill it up and then come back and get another one.
In the coming weeks, I felt compelled to share with you some of my journal entries. Not old ones… but fresh ones. I wanted to share with you some of the things that God has been teaching me as of late. So, if you’re up for it, check your Wednesday Weekly email to see what I’ve be talking to God about, more often than not, what God has been talking to me about.
I can’t promise that what I share with you will be ‘insightful’ and I’m pretty sure that you won’t read anything that you’ve never thought about before. Again, journaling for me is so that I don’t forget what God is wanting me to remember.
If you’ve never tried journaling before, well, consider this an invitation from your friend, Michael to give it a try. Who knows, maybe the LORD will meet with you like He does me. And who knows, after a while, you might catch yourself saying things like, ‘I wrote it in my journal like this.’
Can’t wait to start sharing some journal entries with you next week. :)
