I used to walk around with so much stuff from the past in my head that I couldn't focus on the here-and-now. Incessantly, the swirling, buzzing, random thoughts would distract from conversations and tasks. Journaling helped me organize the clutter my head, one thought at a time--one day at a time.
While I used to pour my memories, longings and musings onto the pages of a diary, now I write on virtual paper, using a keyboard. The process, while different in execution, is still effective in helping me live better in the present. It's like removing clutter from a room. Once the extraneous stuff is cleared away, it ceases to distract the eye, making the space, itself, visible. Not until the When the noise of my thoughts is reduced, can chaos be replaced by calm.
Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still and know that I am God." Ironically, being still requires active participation. I've learned that to be still in God's presence, I must get quiet, breathe deeply, and let go of tension and worry to create space in my head. Then and only then am I able to replace my thoughts with God's thoughts. So, writing in a journal prepares my mind to be still by clearing the cobwebs and calming the crazies.
I guess you could say it is a form of meditation. I write whatever thoughts come to mind without regard to structure, spelling, grammar or punctuation. I don't attempt to edit or rewrite until I'm finished. In this way my thoughts flow onto the page quickly before I forget them and authentically before I have the chance to evaluate their literary worth.
I view journaling as a form of prayer. It helps me identify the concerns that are foremost in my mind and on my heart, so I can bring them to God who cares.
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