“Oh, my journal, my journal!” (I wrote in my journal). “How I have been neglecting you!”

Then I went on to say the most ironic things, about journals and journaling…

To emphasize the irony, in the continuation that follows, I boldfaced each occurrence of the word “journal.” And it’s okay if you laugh as you read, because I did, copying this out:

I have been pouring time—even way beyond my allotted writing hours—into the transcribing, editing, and amending [of] that Zambia Journal, and have been more than ‘written out’ by the time any personal journaling time seems permissible.

[I explain below, in black type, what the Zambia Journal is.]

And now… my October copy of The Writer arrives with articles on using ‘Journaling to fuel your creativity,’ for’ developing your craft,’ and to ‘record the sights and sounds of your life—as an inspiration notebook.’

So back I come. First to my ‘gratitude journal’ to express thanks just for a good writing task to do in the Zambia Journal, though there’s nothing literary about it; it’s mainly transcribing, and even presented in the form of a two-column chart!

But my major hope for devoting set blocks of time for writing through a year [has been] that God will keep giving me useful things to write—and so He did with this.

And indeed, a journal—actually two journals [juxtaposed]—did serve not only as the inspiration, but also as the actual meat of the finished product. And what is that finished product called but the Zambia Journal?

Much could come from my journals. I’ve known this all along. But for the grist to be there [to “mill” into a publishable product], I need to put it in. Therefore, let me not neglect this [personal journaling].

I need to explain what this “Zambia Journal” was.

When my husband went with others on a two-week mission trip to that African country, I (whose role turned out to be staying home to babysit the “funny” farm and to pray the team through the fortnight) kept a record in my journal of what I—and some others—prayed, without any prayer requests or preplanning of prayer topics. Meanwhile, to the best of his ability amid the busyness of service, said husband journaled the events and circumstances that unfolded through the mission team’s stay there.

When he got back, we compared journals and got bowled over by the astonishing “coincidences” of the prayers God laid on hearts back home and the needs of the team abroad (with whom we had no communication but one phone call over halfway through their stay).

That’s what inspired a chart sort of journal, giving dates and lining up needs that arose in Africa and prayers prayed back home. I sent out e-copies to the many people requesting one, and made hard copies for people at church to borrow or keep. Some people wept tears of awe at the power of God and prayer, many read the side-by-side “coincidences” several times. Finally, I put together a photo album with narrative in squares of text and the counterpart prayers in cloud shapes.

Journals can bless in many forms.

~~~~~

Linked to Random Journal Day