Write it Down

A couple of weeks ago, I had an epiphany (in the middle of a mundane task, which seems to be how most epiphanies occur). I suddenly realized that I am more like biblical Paul than David. Let me explain . . . when I was about 10 years old, I began a journal, and continued this daily discipline for over 20 years. And then following a very intense period of brokenness and healing, it changed. I transitioned to journaling only when something fairly significant occurred, and didn’t journal day-to-day things anymore. Initially I thought maybe I’d just burned out, but eventually realized there was more to it than that. There was a sense of incompleteness, but journaling more wasn’t the answer. This is where the epiphany comes in. David journaled. The book of Psalms is largely David’s private journal, as he recorded his innermost thoughts, struggles and victories, joys and sorrows, conversations with God. My understanding of God, life, and myself has been greatly enriched by his writings! His journal is a prayer book, a source of hope, a lyric sheet, and much more! Maybe Paul journaled, too, but what we know of Paul is that he was a letter-writer. He wrote to others what was on his heart, often in order to encourage them or spur them on.

Aha!

I’ve been a letter-writer all my life! As a teenager, I corresponded with 72 penpals, 20 of whom I wrote to every week. I still love to correspond with people, especially to bring encouragement. OK, so what I’m learning is this. Firstly, it’s very important to write it down. Johnny talked about that on Sunday – Moses wrote down everything the Lord had said (Exodus 24:3). We all forget stuff – some of us forget details more readily, others forget emotions, a few forget most everything. The most important thing is to record what God speaks to us. There are lots of things we could write down that would be interesting to remember, but not likely to significantly affect the course of our lives if we don’t refer back to them. But when God speaks to us, it’s crucial to write it down, think about it, remember it, do it, and read it again when we doubt or get discouraged. Incidentally, I did not think I heard much from God for many years. In retrospect, He did speak to me quite a lot, but I didn’t perceive it, largely because I wanted to define how He should speak to me. I had to learn to be still, wait, rest, listen, be open. I needed to learn to pay attention (“For God does speak – now one way, now another” Job 33:14). I’m still learning. Secondly, and here’s where I needed an epiphany – how we write it down can vary. Some of us tend to be more like David, some are more like Paul, both in the way we process things, and in the way we share with others. Both disciplines are needed for our own growth AND for the strengthening of the body of Christ. We can do both, whether we consider ourselves more of a David or a Paul . . . journaling (setting aside time to write down and think about what the Lord speaks to us), and writing letters (sharing some nuggets with others). Both habits not only help us to grow in faith and confidence, but God will bring encouragement, comfort, and hope to others as we share our treasures and our stories.

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