JOURNALING

Do you journal? Gosh, I wish I had started as a child and kept it up. I started my blog as a way to journal about my days, never dreaming anyone else would read it, but when I realized others did, I guess I "toned down" what I wrote as well as kept somethings private. That sounds like a complaint, but I'm "just stating the facts ma'am". I love blogging and won't change, but I do think about having an actual ONLY ME AND GOD type journal where I can write down my deepest (and darkest too) thoughts. What I HAVE started is a PRAYER JOURNAL. And I love it.

In 2006 when I was diagnosed with breast cancer, a neighbor who owns a international sales company told me that he was praying for me...and not just him, but his staff. He then went on to tell me of one of their company practices. At their morning meeting, they have a prayer and praise time before they start their meeting. Prayers are written into a journal. He told me how humbling it is to look back and see the prayers God has answered. It gave me chills then and again now as I type this. People I didn't know and who certainly didn't know me were praying for ME. Little old me. And obviously their prayers worked. Here I am 4-1/2 years later...happy, healthy and praying for others, some I don't even know personally.

Just one example -
A few weeks ago someone I don't know personally emailed me one morning and asked that I pray for her. She was really struggling and said she sat at her computer looking for help and found me. She knew I was a Christian (from my blog) and asked for my prayers. OH.MY.GOSH! I was touched, surprised and privileged to pray for her. And I still do. Her first email was short and sweet with no details. And that was okay. I really don't need to know details. I know she needs prayers and I know my God is listening.

Anyway, back to my friend who told me about his company prayer journal. After he told me everything, I really planned to start one myself. Then life happens. You know what I mean. We make plans and then life gets in the way. That's a BIG FAT LIE of an excuse, right? If I have time to blog, facebook, play tennis, etc. then I certainly have time to journal.

As I've mentioned recently, I just finished reading THE HELP (loved it!). One of the main characters is Abileen, a black maid in Jackson, Mississippi in the 60's who writes down her prayers. She started as a child and never stopped. Everyone who knew Abileen asked her to pray for them because it was a known fact that almost all of her prayers were answered. Everyone thought she had a direct line to God.

So, again it was placed on my heart to start a prayer journal. I don't know about you, but the older I get the more prayers are needed. Not just for me, though the good Lord knows I need them, but for so many people I encounter every.single.day.

Soooo...drum roll please...I've started a prayer journal. It's nothing fancy and I don't write out individual prayers for each person. I just write down people's names and their situation. I don't feel like I need to do more. Our God knows all the details. I've found that writing it down acts as a sort of release for me. Awwww....God this is so important, so heavy, so draining but you oh God can take it.

I used to say my prayers at night...and almost always sometimes fell asleep before I could finish the l-o-n-g list of people I wanted to pray for. I still want to pray at night, but the prayer journal is an awesome tool for me.

Since I feel so good about my prayer journal, I might eventually start a personal ONLY ME AND GOD journal too.

Let me know if you journal and how it works for you.


"Father, help me to be a blessing to someone today."