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Robert Jeffery posts his reflection paper on the spiritual discipline of journaling for your consideration.

How do Christians seek union with God?  I would suggest that Christians become in tune with God during times of personal reflection where the events of the past day are recalled, and hopes for the new day are dreamt.  It is during these times that we come into the presence of God and draw refreshment and strength – strength that enables us to face the trials of life.  C. Austin Miles likens time spent with God to sitting in a beautiful garden: “I come to the garden alone, while the dew is still on the roses, and the voice I hear, falling on my ear, the Son of God discloses.  And he walks with me, and he talks with me, and he tells me I am his own; and the joy we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known.”

Beautiful words to be sure, but let’s face it; few of us today have the luxury of time required to grow a garden.  We are lucky in our busy lives if we have the time to cultivate a simple planter’s box – let alone a garden!

Many Christians speak of being too busy to engage in the disciplines.  I am not sure whether as a society we are any busier than people in the past.  But one often hears the phrase, “I’m too busy”, being thrown about an awful lot in the church today.  Regardless of the personal sacrifice exacted from us, it is essential that Christians take the time to commune with God, to spend those few minutes “in the garden” (or planter’s box) everyday and journaling is one way to do this.  Henri Nouwen wisely writes:

Precisely because our secular milieu offers us so few spiritual disciplines, we have to develop our own.  We have, indeed, to fashion our own desert where we can withdraw every day, shake off our compulsions, and dwell in the gently healing presence of our Lord.  Without such a desert we will lose our soul while preaching the gospel to others.  But with such a spiritual abode, we will become increasingly conformed to him in whose name we minister.

Journaling has helped me to find my own quiet place; I have learned that even in the hustle and bustle of a crowded, noisy world, the restful garden of the Lord is only one journal page away.

Journal keeping is not a uniquely Christian practice, but Ron Klug makes it clear that the highest level of journaling is one which seeks spiritual growth.  The benefits to journaling are numerous; through journaling one achieves growth in self-understanding, an aid to caring for one’s soul, guidance for decision making, making sense and order out of life, the release of emotions, gaining perspective, greater awareness of daily life, self-expression and creativity, clarifying one’s beliefs, setting goals and time management, and working through one’s problems.  Journaling is one of the healthiest practices a person can engage in.

Over a four-week period I have written in a journal at least four entries per week.  A part of me initially resisted writing in a journal; as a student I already pour out my thoughts on paper on a frequent if not daily basis.  The thought of picking up a pen to write when my brain was screaming for a break was not appealing.  I was surprised to find however that once I started writing my mental fatigue quickly went away.  Unlike typical research papers that rely on my cognitive knowledge, journaling touches upon another part of my mind, mainly my self-awareness.  Thoughts that have never received much attention suddenly appeared on my page; hidden remembrances flowed out of my mind, through my pen, and onto the paper where I was forced to acknowledge them.  To answer the question, what have I learned from journaling, the chief answer would be, more about me.  I often surprised myself when I confessed thoughts, feelings, and attitudes on paper that I never thought would come from me.  For instance, I am a man who likes order; I like things planned out and am afraid to deviate from the schedule.  After reading Matthew 9:18-26, the account where Jesus was on his way to heal someone and gets stopped by another person requesting to be healed, I came to realize that Jesus’ schedule was formed by other people’s needs.  In my journal I wrote, “As an officer I must ensure that my schedule is formed by the needs of others.”  This change in my own attitude surprised me.

The joy of journaling came for me when I started writing brief, four line poems at the conclusion of each entry.  Through journaling I slowly began to nurture my creative abilities which resulted in the writing of a rather lengthy poem called, “The Wedding Feast”.  It is a pretty rough poem, but a good start nonetheless.  The frustrations of journaling came when I thought I wrote something really profound one day and the following day I could not think of anything substantial to write.  On the momentous day that the Bastille fell, signalling the start of the French Revolution, in his journal Louis XVI’s enigmatic one-word entry simply read, rien (nothing).  Louis’ bleak journal entry however did not reflect his response to the events in his kingdom that would later shake the foundations of France, but rather the result of his hunting expedition.  He had caught nothing.  Even though the glory of creation is unfolding all around me, there have been days when my inspiration was lacking that I felt like writing “nothing”.  To combat this frustration I would simply comment on the Scripture passage that I had read that day.  By focusing on God’s written word I was not merely filling up journal space.  It was an act of reflection that allowed me to receive God’s revelation – a revelation that comes through the reading of the Word.

Journaling has contributed to my spiritual development by making me more honest.  Even though my journal is an inanimate object, a mere book with blank pieces of paper, I feel that it takes on the role of an accountability partner.  It beckons me to write in it my most prolific and profound thoughts.  It also bids me to confess my blackest, most unspoken feelings, purging my soul from their toxic effects.  I realize of course in saying all this that it is not a mere book that accomplishes this, but the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.  By committing these thoughts to paper, the Holy Spirit works through my natural processes and continually forms me into the man of faith that he wants me to be.  If I continue in this discipline, I can only anticipate becoming more honest, more transparent, and more open with myself and those around me.  The key to being a spiritual leader is not knowing the most about God; the key is being in tune with God and his design for your life and your community of faith.

With prolonged contemplation comes the risk of withdrawing too much from the world.  Like the character in Miles’ hymn, we long to stay in the garden with the Lord, shutting out the world around us.  But Christ compels us to return to the mission field, bidding us go until the next time we meet.  By reading over my journal entries I am able to see how my experiences in the garden have not been static or unchanging.  Each visit has taught me something new about myself and the God I serve.  Each visit has helped me to be a better labourer in the mission field, energizing me with new life and vitality.  Journaling, along with the other spiritual disciplines has become a much valued part of my life.