Journaling All the Way

It's clear that many people enjoy discussing their thoughts on God and His demonstration of goodness. This is evident by the large number of books published on the topic. Many people have become authors solely on this subject. Additionally, it has paved the way to podcasting, hosting TV shows fostering faith, and becoming ministry leaders to share their perspectives on spirituality.

I, too, take pleasure in doing that in my capacity by way of journaling, and now branching it out to faith blogging here. Though I share the same sentiment as the others about sharing God, I want to clarify that I do not consider myself some person He favors over others. It is important that I present my sharing in a way that does not imply I am often the sole recipient of His everyday pampering, for as we all know, He extends His loving glances without fail to all who seek to experience Him in ways remarkably divine.

All right, so it’s settled that God doesn’t have favorites. He approaches us like a friend offering a healthy drink to enjoy together to refresh our weary minds.

However, quite contrary to that common understanding, during a Good Friday service this year, a Rabbi who was a guest on a TV program captivated the audience with a story he shared about God telling him that despite the belief that God treats all of His children equally, God said to him that he was His favorite child.

“Huh? Is that so?” you would think, right?

Well, I can’t blame you, for even the audience was left in awe as they contemplated the profound implications of this assertion.

But hold your horses; there's more to it; let’s not jump to conclusions just yet.

He continued that God is infinite and omnipresent, so He is in everyone, meaning God can have infinite favorite children. He made a good point, making his claim valid. It truly isn’t surprising that we can feel the presence of God, as we are all His favorites and can manifest in many forms. This could be a line or dialogue in a TV show we're watching, something we heard on the radio, a catchy line in something we're reading, a surprise at work, a guiding hand of a loved one, or a nice gesture from a stranger. There are so many ways to experience God's presence.

In my experience, when I notice anything supernatural because only God can pull it off, I am often moved to share the moments. The urge to talk about it comes to me instantly, like a switch, and words fill my head because my heart is overjoyed.

I have been journaling since elementary school, although not faith-related. Because money was scarce growing up. I used scrap white bond papers, folded them crosswise, and stapled them on one side to make my journal. Unfortunately, there came a point where there were no more white bond papers to write on, so I had to quit journaling.

Now that buying a journal is within reach, I resumed writing down my thoughts and moments when I felt a little special in God's loving gaze. Our older son, in fact, one Christmas gifted me a devotional journal, where half of the page is a Bible reference expounding on a verse, and the bottom half is for writing down insights from it. On one other Christmas, he got me a mini journal perfect for travel. For sure, one thing about me that my family knows is my deep interest in journaling.

I have mentioned this habit in some of my live and recorded videos on my Facebook page. In my opinion, cultivating this habit is valuable because our memory can fail us as we age. Additionally, as we get busier with each passing day, recollecting important moments can become challenging, especially when dealing with situations that require a lot of time and attention.

True. Isn’t bitterness something that comes to each of us at some point in our lives—trying times when it’s hard to focus? For this reason, I find it essential to remind ourselves of the moments when joy came into our lives, such as those laced with heavenly touch.

It is crucial to recall the happy moments in our lives—such as a warm embrace and a comforting pat on the back to remind us that God is aware of what is happening in our lives and that nothing surprises Him because He is eternal and in control.

In my personal experience, although the entries in my journal were not from long ago, I have already completely forgotten some of them. Not that they were petty and too insignificant to stay in my memory but that is the sad reality of life: Our minds can only hold so many things. Life goes on, and new experiences are created along the way.

I am grateful that I took the time on many occasions to write in detail about specific moments in my life. It allowed me to revisit those moments and remember them vividly, including any emotions and reactions because I had forgotten many of them. Thanks to my journal, thumbing through the pages, I was surprised that events I had forgotten entirely about returned to me. Reading through some of the pages made me smile.

Now, back to sharing God’s goodness: I've noticed that the more I share my thoughts about God, the more I experience His goodness. Hence, the more I delight in Him!

I don't think God is conceited and expects me to share Him whenever possible, but I believe it delights Him when I do. It's like an invitation He wants to extend to others to encourage more people to trust Him and His ways. This, in turn, leads to a greater delight in Him because He truly is always paying attention to our everyday affairs. He consistently looks out for us, much more often than we may recognize because we are busy.

Through my own experiences, when I choose to impose upon myself that our ways are not His, His thoughts are higher than ours—all because He is up there and has a bird’s eye view of everything, compared to that of ours whose vision is limited, as we are all down here —is also an invitation to trust in Him, after all, that is what I pray for His will over mine.  Of course, it can’t always be easy when circumstances stir my faith, all because sometimes things don’t add up. So I thank God when I reach the moment of full surrender to His almightiness.  Actually, the first time I’ve heard about this was an “A-ha” moment for me.

God can always do wonders, regardless of whether or not we ask for them. It is essential to quickly acknowledge His mighty hands at work when He does, as it is just and proper to praise Him. Again, in my experience, when I am more receptive to His nearness, is when I notice an influx of joy, love, and peace in my heart. This helps to fill any void in my life, whether it be a numbing, hurting heart, a restless mind, or any other form of brokenness or emptiness I may be experiencing at the moment.

In closing, I would like to say that we can avoid missing opportunities by constantly trying to live in the moment.

Now is your turn to share your stories ingrained with a heavenly touch. Shoot me a message, I’d love to hear your thoughts. 

Many Blessings!