The truth and nothing but the truth in journaling….

A few weeks ago a friend of ours stopped me in the lobby at church to ask me about journaling.

That’s not surprising in and of itself because I do get asked about that from time to time, but it is always women and this happened to be a man. 

He has been feeling the nudge to journal more regularly as part of his study and prayer time and his question was a good one. 

He asked me if I stick to vague references about heart issues or if I am gut honest when I journal.

Short answer?

Gut honest. 

I believe that writing out my thoughts, ugly and raw … deep and pondering…working through all of what is crowding out God in my heart, soul and mind…is part of the journaling process. 

It helps me clear away the fluff and often reveals pride or guilt or whatever isn’t of God and makes room for Him to do what He does…

convict, rebuke, comfort, forgive, restore, edify, counsel, speak into this life that He gave me. 

And there is another reason I express myself in journaling with bold transparency. 

There are days I run across an entry and as I read the words I wrote with my own hand, farther down the road of this journey, I sit in humble gratitude for how God took those thoughts the day I wrote them and He held them tenderly and faithfully and because I owned what I was feeling…

He did His thing and I do not feel shame for what I misunderstood about His goodness. 

My honest outpouring was a child crying out to her Abba Father. 

And while I may not get an answer right after I write out my heart and my questions…over time, He worketh <3

I ran across a confession I wrote in the margin of the No Other Gods study today. 

I wrote it in a hard season of deep hurt three years ago. 

In the midst of painful loss and transition, as I cried out to God, He revealed to me things that were buried in me that needed to be dug up and removed. 

Today I read with humble gratitude the exchange I had with Him that day and I can mark the growth that has come three years later. 

Little bits of fruit here and there on a tree that dug her roots into His mercy and grace and took life from His living water as we limped through a rough time. 

Perhaps you are not one who takes up a pen and writes out your thoughts, but it is the only way I know to record mine so that I can remember what God has done for me. 

He is great and awesome and yet so very kind and personal. 

Know Him.