Read Your Journals to be Inspired

The importance of journaling is not just to share with others but to reach back to see where we were in the past. Often a family will pour through the writings of a love one they have lost. I even transcribed my mom’s journal from our Alaska trip to share with my kids. But it is also such a gift we give ourselves when we walk through our own words in our journals from years gone by. 

At times we may recognize how what we were so anxious about turned out to not be the big deal we made it out to be. Other times we can see the joy we had in sharing life with others whether on a trip to Alaska or just going out to chat over coffee. Then there are the words we write about our hopes and dreams. Looking back gives us an opportunity to see what actually unfolded and what we had to let go of.

 One of the greatest gifts I have given myself is writing this blog. Now there is fourteen years of life recorded detailing how my life has been lived through heartache and triumphs. Recently, I have been pouring through posts to get material for a podcast. What a thrill it is to me that my faith has been a common theme in my life through all that life has been. It gives me a confidence that I can face whatever comes moving forward and that even on my worst days, I will never have to walk through them alone. 

Someone recently called me religious. I bristle at that word. Although I could be classified as religious I would say I am relational. My relationship with Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit is what comforts and directs me. The legalism of man is how I think of religion. Knowing Him and making Him known is the relationship that grounds me. Making Him known is my passion since life is difficult. I don’t want anyone else to have to face life without Jesus a whisper away through their pain and victories. It is beyond a lonely feeling that I get when I look back and imagine living my life without His love and continuous embrace. 

My advice is to not wait for others to read your writing but to go back and reflect on it yourself. It is a journey worth taking. If you don’t write you can always thumb through pictures to recall how life has gifted you through the years. 

In Him,

Joyful

2-22-24