Have you ever kept a journal? I have almost always kept a journal. I have journals that go back to my elementary years, where the content is light hearted and I talk about birthday parties and family trips.
As my high school years began, I talk about college plans, boys, church youth group trips, and the content starts to have more depth. I kept a journal for my now husband all while we were dating, in which I prayed for him and proclaimed my love for him much sooner than I ever uttered the words. I presented him with the journal on our wedding day.
Fast forward to the journal I keep today, and it is where I pour out my feelings of joy and fear, peace and conflict, you name it. If I’ve felt it, I most likely have written about it. It is also where I can most clearly call out to God and communicate my burdens, praises and all types of prayers.
At times, it has felt a little laborious. I am naturally someone who just enjoys writing, but just like in my relationship with Christ, there have been peaks and valleys. What a blessing it is to be able to look back at different times of my life and see how the Lord was working.
There are times when I look back, and I’m surprised and mildly terrified at myself because of superficial or selfish requests. There are times when I look back and thank the Lord for the growth I experienced during that period and how I drew closer to Him.
My journals are also such a sweet reminder of how the Lord has been good to me, over and over again. When my husband and I began to plan our family, I prayed for a baby. The Lord delivered! I journaled throughout my pregnancy, praying for a healthy baby with a peaceful disposition and joyful heart. The Lord delivered! Time and time again, there is proof of the Lord granting the desires of my heart.
The opposite is also true. There are times I’ve prayed for certain things, and the Lord chose not to grant my prayers. At those times I was confused, hurt, maybe even a little angry. I have asked God, “Why not?” many times. But always, down the road, His omnipotence has proven itself, as I later see how His plans for my life are never failing and full of goodness.
I say all of this to encourage you, friend, whether you like to write or not, to keep some form of a journal. Maybe for you, journaling looks like a few sentences each night. Maybe it looks like a note kept in your phone. You could even begin a digital journal and keep it for yourself, or share it in the form of a blog.
I personally love to take pen to paper, and I don’t do it nightly—I journal about once a month, more depending on what is going on in my life—but the fun thing about journaling is you can choose to do it however you please!
Keep record of what God is doing in your life, it is a sweet reminder of his faithfulness and goodness.