After years of rolling my eyes at those who have suggested it, I decided to start a spiritual journal. I have always maintained that it would be easier to simply include my spiritual promptings, thoughts, and experiences in my regular journal. However, a few things have recently changed my mind. A spiritual journal, for those who don't know or are curious, is a journal where you write down your spiritual thoughts, experiences, or promptings. Very simple. You can take the opportunity to make a note of your blessings or answered prayers. From what I have heard, this is a great chance to do several things. First, by simply writing them down, you are recognizing them. Sometimes it can be difficult to pull out what thoughts come from you and what thoughts come from the Holy Spirit. Processing through them as they happen can be a big help. I remember the first 'spiritual journal' thing I wrote. It was when I first felt a strong, burning testimony that the church was true. I was 17 at the time, and worried that I might look back at my decision to join the church and rationalize and overanalyze it, as I am prone to do. I thought I might convince myself that it had to do with a crush I had since I was about 11, on a boy who lived across the country. But at that moment, I knew it was not the case. I literally felt my burn and the Holy Spirit tell me that I needed to be a part of Christ's church. Which leads to the second reason for such a journal. It can be easy to explain away or rationalize such promptings. When you follow them and something good but unexpected happens, it can be easy to define it as 'coincidence'. But when you write these things in yur journal, you will be able to remember them as they occured. (The letter, by the way, was unnecessary. I never questioned my testimony. But it makes a nice keepsake.) The third reason is because, as humans, we tend to be a forgetful lot. It can be hard to remember our promptings from months before. I have had friends tell me that they felt a prompting and then, months later, when reviewing their spiritual journal, they were amazed at the blessings that came from heeding that prompting. They had forgotten why they had started down the path in the first place, but because of their journal, were able to look back and remember - and add a new entry. The final reason is for posterity. How faith-promoting would it be for your children (and even your spouse) to read through your journal and observe how your testimony grew. "So that's why we moved," they might say, or perhaps just nod in rememberance. Our children learn our faith from us, but if they never see that faith in action, even if we have it, then they miss the chance to grow. Besides, I don't want my kids reading my regular journal - especially of my pre-church teen years - until I am dead. Maybe not for five years after that. I started my spiritual journal last night, while I studied the scriptures. It wasn't so much that I felt overly prompted in any direction, but that I felt like I identified with the Old Testament story I was studying. But I look forward to adding more entries. |
