The right kinda journaling

People keep journals for diverse reasons……

I am one person who has always found it easy to put my thoughts in writing. I started keeping a journal back when I wasn't so good at communicating whatever was bothering me at the time. I found it easier offloading all my problems on paper and then figuring out what to do next. I wasn't comfortable sharing with people for the obvious issues of trust and neither was I a fan of confrontation. I wrote endlessly in details about my days; happy moments, sad moments (and even irrelevant stuff, just for the purposes of having something to read in future).

The main reason why I started keeping a journal; well apart from the above mentioned reasons; was because I wanted to read back on happy moments whenever I hit a low, and encourage myself that sad moments never lasted long.

I burnt up most of my old journals around 2008, in a sort of ‘good riddance to the past’ kinda way. I then decided to start afresh, only keying in things that had a major effect on my life in one way or the other. I’d forgotten about those journals until I recently revisited the archives.

Let me summarize one of the keyed in events: I was a room service order taker for two sister hotels, concurrently. It was a busy night and I was working the midnight shift. A guest placed a food order mentioning that he was allergic to eggs. Judging from the order he placed, I was certain that eggs wouldn't be present. With a mixed green salad with vinaigrette dressing, grilled fish and chips, a fruit salad and a bottle of mineral water… what could possibly go wrong? I didn't mention it to the chef since I was so sure about the absence of eggs in the order. My shift ended at 6 am and I headed home. At about 9 am I received a call from the Director of F&B. At first I had no idea what he was talking about as he was breathing fire and speaking too fast for my sleepy head to decrypt his Australian accent. He said something about the guest being rushed to hospital in the wee hours of the morning, asked a zillion questions that he never waited for me to answer, and then “pray to God he doesn't sue the hotel mate!” and the line went dead. I then got other angry calls from my immediate boss, then from the chef before it hit me – dang the tartare sauce!

I did not key in what happened after.

For crying out loud, why do we have the habit of keeping a record of things that will not help us in future, and for what? So that we can read and re-live the dread of the events? I hear someone saying “This doesn't apply to me since I don’t keep a journal.” Well I've got news for you; we all keep records physical or mental; otherwise how would you remember details of what Carol said about you or the exact events surrounding how your mother beat you when you were 10 for breaking the thermos flask? The power of the mind….

Isn't it interesting how we remember details of bad events and not so much on happy ones unless it was an outstanding one?  Many of the bad records we keep are of what we’d trusted God for but didn't come to be as we’d expected. E.g. you've been trusting God for healing but there’s still no physical manifestation of healing.

And isn't it interesting how instant amnesia of what God has done before hits us, whenever we face a new challenge. The disciples had been with Jesus, they’d seen Him perform many miracles including, feeding 5000 men (Matt 14). A few days later, they have a multitude of 4000 men and were suggesting to Jesus that He sends the people away since they couldn't feed them-they’d already forgotten! (Matt 15)

The devil uses accusation, intimidation, fear and anxiety in order to make you so conscious of the problem you are currently facing, that you can’t even recognize the tools/solution that God has placed in your hands. (In the disciples case - Jesus was their solution, but they were too anxious to remember)

With regards to unanswered prayer, NEVER force yourself to have an opinion about why God isn't speaking/acting because you’ll end up undercutting what He intends to do. For when He does speak/act He brings understanding as to why the answer seemed to take long and exactly what He was doing about it. That you don't see anything happening in the physical, it doesn't mean nothing's happening in the spiritual.

And never allow yourself to entertain thoughts that linger on the topic of the unanswered prayer.

Replaying what God hasn't done yet causes you to miss out on what God is doing right now. Bill Johnson puts it this way “Focusing on (keeping a record of) what God has not done puts us in a place to justify our unbelief, and puts us in a place where we’re moved by another unanswered prayer hence we are filled with offence towards God”.

I stopped keeping crazy journals after joining school of ministry (bible school). I now only key in what God speaks to me on a daily basis through vast avenues, how He’s come through for me in past situations and various principles that I learn (from books, sermons, friends etc.)

I encourage everyone to keep a journal, but this time, only write what God says in His word with regards to the issue you are facing and replay them over and over again. Key in God’s promises for you and areas where He’s has come through for you before. Why? Because this positions you better to receive yet another miracle. It causes you to see through God’s eyes, as well as help you cultivate an atmosphere of thankfulness. Thankfulness gives you the grace to endure the things you have no answer for.

Bill Johnson then says “When you remember God’s intervention in impossible situations, you carry in your heart the seed of yet another miracle. Keeping the testimonies is like wearing of the God-kinda glasses that adjust how you see. Every testimony is a revelation of God’s nature and His commitment to you as an individual”

So let us learn to remember and keep the right kinda journaling coz your memory- what you allow yourself to remember and replay, will make you courageous or a coward!

Have a right kinda journaling week, now won't you?