Every now and again, I’ll read through old journals. For me, old can be as recently as last week, or ten years ago. After reading a few entries, it always leaves me in awe.
While I’d tell anyone that I have a pretty good memory, I often don’t recall the level of detail that writing something down carries. And as I re read them, I sometimes get filled with the same emotions or take a deep breath as I’m reminded of something that I may even have missed when I first wrote the thought down.
As I had a particular time frame in mind, I pulled the journal that would have that time, and instantly a few reminders came back. Passages of scripture that seemingly were on repeat during that time. Words that I now know, I would never tell myself, but have served as anchors in my faith walk.
I have to chuckle: if I didn’t have these written down, I wouldn’t remember.
I actually wondered at myself this morning as I found a chunk of time that I had not written anything in my journal. It was also a very hard and confusing time, but as I paused writing to go look and see, it wasn’t that I didn’t write – it was just the notes took a very different format and is written in a different place. The way I processed with God, looked differently.
I’m reminded of a story that I’ve loved since I first heard it.. ‘Footprints in the Sand’.
The shortened version is someone had a dream and all along the beach there were two sets of footprints, and the person could see scenes of their life. During the hardest season of the person’s life, there was only one set of footprints. When the person ‘confronted’ God about this, the response was ‘it was then that I carried you’.
Every time, that I read this story, it brings me to tears, and even just recounting it, I’m in tears.
As I look back on my ‘scenes of my life’ through my journaling, when I did not have long, flowery words, I know without a doubt, I had been carried.
Friends, you don’t need to be a writer to share your heart with God. I believe the more you draw close to Him, pouring your heart out to Him, is how you will see evidence of His love and care for you.
‘Draw close to me and I’ll draw close to you’
‘Write down the vision and make it plain’
‘The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and those who are crushed in spirit’
I could go on and on with these passages of scripture – and.. the best part? You don’t need to be an expert to start. The more you seek, is the more you will find. ‘Call to me and I will tell you unsearchable things you do not know’
Dear Heavenly Father, it still amazes me that I will start out writing in one direction, and you take it in the direction it needs to go. Thank you for continuing to use these feeble words to uplift and encourage others, starting with me. Help us to be obedient to whatever you are asking us to do, as we learn to trust you more.