Spiritual journaling is a good spiritual practice for meditation and maturity. It helps me articulate my inner thoughts. Writing spiritual journal captures what is going on around me with words. On the one hand, I know that I can’t write down every detail in life. On the other hand, I don’t want to let each day pass by as if there were nothing to remember. I realize that when I am able to be quiet and still, I have space to think, to explore, to create, and to integrate. Journaling creates a space of quietness and stillness for me to introspect and be invited to the Center.
In Journaling as a Spiritual Practice: Encountering God through Attentive Writing (Downers Grove: IVP, 2008), Helen Cepero, director of spiritual formation at North Park Theological Seminary, notes,
“One of the best gifts of a journal is that it gives you a place to show up. As you write, you may discover where you actually are. When you know where you are, you may also see what is true, hear your own voice, gain an understanding of something that has troubled or puzzled you or savor again a joy that might have slid right by you almost unnoticed. Most of all, you will gain a clearer view of God’s presence with you, in you and around you. Your journal is a place to celebrate the concrete details of yourself, your family, your community and the world.” (p. 32)
Spiritual journaling is a practice that allows me to hear my own voice. It’s a practice that helps me make sense of what is going. It’s a practice that gives me an angle to see my ordinary life from an outsider’s perspective. It’s a practice that I can trace His guidance when I l look back later. It’s a practice that captures my current thoughts that will surprise me in the future.
No comments:
Post a Comment