Back in my younger years, (we are talking waaaaaaay back in time) I had a diary. It was maroon red with gold around the edges. It had a little lock with a little key and I poured my heart into it. By the time I was engaged to my husband I took that little book of drama out… that IS what it was… drama… Drama… DRAMA. Embarrassing, humbling, and even hilarious at times… but they were still my thoughts, dreams, secrets, observations, feelings, and humor. It was eye opening to read and remember but I still disposed of it. To be honest, that is why I didn’t journal – wouldn’t it just be a bunch of the same? (Not taking into account the flash forward almost 30 years) But still… is there actually a need to capture the world as it pertains to my limited view and to relive those experiences as I had done in the past?
The answer is a resounding… YES!!!
Only now it isn’t a diary – it is a mile marker of my life – my growth – my maturity, or lack there of – in my walk with Jesus Christ. No drama. Just truth. No hiding. No Secrets… I want to remember – just today I read this:
May 12, 2015 “I know. I know the WHY. I know the HOW. I know the WHO. I KNOW. YET I FORGET. I IGNORE. That’s why THIS start is different. I am going to chronical my life. My struggles. The Ugly. The Beautiful. Honest – not sugar coated – complete incompletion!” “There is no pressure like the one we put on ourselves. There is a difference between forcing ourselves to be better and allowing God to move us out of our comfort zone to make us more like Him.”
Why do I share this? Because right now, I am digging in my heels – not wanting to do what comes next – and then I stumble on this… literally the very first page of a forgotten notebook from 2 years earlier. This is why I journal… the in your face, understanding of truth! I can’t argue with it… any way I slice it… this is what “Living Out Loud” is about.
I can't tell you that "YOU JUST HAVE TO JOURNAL!" However, it IS so easy to forget... isn't it? My advice? Please don’t belittle what you are learning every day. Every part of your life is important… and if you, like me, have a meaningful relationship with the Lord, it can be so encouraging to see where you have come from... you can learn from it… you can grow from it… and you can share it – even if it is just with yourself….but what if it isn’t just for you?