Journaling for the Future

I have never been very good at keeping a journal. Are you? Oh, I have random scribbles written down from my teen years, but I never lasted consistently beyond a few days. I would attempt to begin a journal, intending to be consistent in writing, only to have my determination fizzle out shortly after.

So I never did make it a habit. Until recently, when I decided to include it in my goals for this year.

There are a couple of main reasons why I have decided that keeping a journal of some kind is important. The first is to simply record life events. There are already so many things that I’ve experienced in my relatively short life, “momentous” occasions that I will some day want to remember more clearly. And I failed to write them down. :( Major bummer! Already I regret that!

I know that someday when I have my own kids, I will want to record the funny things they do and say, and the big moments of their lives, like their first steps, or first day of school. As the years fly by, the memories I found most precious will begin to fade - my memory isn’t good enough to remember everything!

I have an aunt that has been a fantastic, consistent journaler for many years, and it is always fun to hear the things that went on when my cousins were younger. It is the only way I can know about these momentous things that happened before I was even around! Yes, I believe it is important to be able to revisit my families past and heritage through the pages of a journal.

But the other main reason I believe a journal is important is found in scripture. Yes, scripture! Even though the Bible does not talk about keeping a journal, I believe there is a principle that applies here.

Over and over through the story of the Israelites, God instructs them to build memorials or institute a sacrifice to be a remembrance long after the event has taken place. We find one such account in Exodus 13:14,

And it shall be when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What is this? that thou shalt say unto him, By strength of hand the LORD brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage.

The sacrifice that was established just prior to this verse served one purpose: to teach the children that were not present what the Lord had done in their parent's lives.

This pattern is repeated over and over through the story of the Exodus and wilderness wandering, and I believe it is an important thing to consider. How can we show future generations the greatness of God? By letting them see it in our own lives. Then as they learn from our example to depend on Him and trust Him, they can see these same great things in their own lives!

Keeping a journal to record the great things the Lord has done is like setting up a memorial or a sacrifice. It can remind us of the greatness and power of God, and of His working in our lives. Yes, there may be times in our life when things aren’t looking so great and powerful and wonderful. I believe these need to be recorded as well, because the Lord will work some good out of them, and His greatness will be shown through even the hard events of our lives. We can’t ever know the effect that our testimony could have into the future!

So I’ve begun to journal regularly - several times a week. Beyond life events {because lets face it, there aren’t too many journal-worthy ones these days!} I’ve found it a great place to jot down spiritual tidbits that I pick up in my personal Bible study. Things the Lord is teaching me through His word, or things I want to ponder and sort out longer - having them written down allows me to go back and revisit them if I need to! It is turning out to add a wealth of meaning to my devotional life.

If you don’t keep a journal, why not give it a try and see if you find these things to be true in your life? It doesn’t have to be a daily, time-consuming thing unless that is what works for you. Just a few simple lines, a funny thing someone said, or a verse that struck you today is enough. And remember, you are setting memorials -showing God’s power and grace to the generations to follow you.

If you already journal, I’d love to hear about your method! Why is keeping a journal important to you? What sorts of things do you include?