thoughts
prayers
hopes
dreams
aspirations
tears
struggles
pleas
Simply put, the portrait of my life.
Two years ago I started on a wonderful journey, a beautiful one, and one that I cherish each day. Call it what you would like, I have been keeping the pages of my life in my daybook. {Well, I should say "daybooks"}
This is a beautiful art that has been put aside in this culture of rushing and business. Who has time to write these days?
But wouldn't be nice to be able to look back, when you are much older and revisit the days long ago? To remember the times of joy and gladness, and the times of pain and sorrow and how the Lord used them in your life... to see the picture that Christ has painted in your life.. to see that though maybe you didn't understand what He was doing at that time of your life, you can now see how beautiful that brokenness was, and how it brought you closer to the Lord.
Even looking back through the pages of two years ago of my own life, I am amazed at how the Lord has worked in my life. To read the thoughts that filled the pages of that time, to see that those tears were not in vain, and the joys were so sweet to have, and that the Lord has held me and will ever hold me through all!
I have also pondered the thought that maybe my writings of my girlhood will be a blessing to my daughters {if the Lord wills one day}. For them to read through my life would be an immense joy to me, and maybe a tool in their life.
I can look back at the time when Mom and I went to Cracker Barrel... just the two of us... to sit and talk over many things, and finding myself encouraged by her words and renewed. Or to reminisce the long bike rides with my Dad, among the wooded trails, talking and bonding together. To ponder the times with my little brother, whether it is playing submarine in a tree fort, or simply reading together... these sweet gifts are not to be forgotten! They are all tools in our lives that the Lord uses, and to cherish them and mediate on lessons learned is invaluable!
So, though I can and do get busy at times... I desire to continue my journey of the writing of my heart...To write out my struggles and prayers, my dreams and aspirations, my tears and hopes...
Will you join me?
Blessings,
I agree with you Shannon, writing journals or diaries is a lost art in this era. With everything whizzing around at full speed, taking the time to sit down, collect your thoughts and write them down(by hand!)into a book is a time that should be treasured!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure (if the Lord wills) your journals will be a blessing to your daughters :] I've oftened wished that my Mom had kept a journal so that I could read it now =)
Thank you for inspiring and encouraging the rest of us to keep this art alive!
Devin
This is a great thing to do, Shannon! I've been keeping a journal since I was about nine years old (though of course I haven't written every day!). I do cherish the memories that those diaries hold, highs and lows that I might otherwise forget. They are encouraging, and they are motivating. I want to live the kind of life that will make a great autobiography someday, and whenever the time comes to write it I'm going to need some manuscripts to reference ;)
ReplyDeleteThanks for motivating me to journal more often!