First, it is very therapeutic. On days when I was having a hard time with my health, when I was discouraged, tired, frustrated, just the simple act of writing down my feelings helped me to relieve my stress. It was like having my own counselor on the computer. I was able to clear my head and let go of my negative emotions. It was wonderful!
Next, journaling helped me receive answers to my prayers. This month there were several things I was praying for. And as I would sit down and write in my journal about the struggles I was going through, thoughts popped into my head that gave me comfort, peace, and even advice. I know I did not come up with these thoughts on my own. It was my Heavenly Father communicating with me. Problems that seemed so insurmountable now seem conquerable. Frustrations I had were smoothed over. Fears I had were quieted, all because I took the time to quietly reflect and write down my feelings. I took the time to quiet my mind so the Spirit could communicate to me.
Another blessing of journal writing is it enabled me to truly see how blessed I am. Even on days when I felt sad or upset, when I wrote in my journal I was able to sit back and look at the situation and realize that even with all of life's bumps, I have SO much to be grateful for. It was nice to write down think about what I have been blessed with. I was even able to see how some of the trials I had were able to bless my life and the lives of others. I was able to see God's hand at work in my life. Sometimes I don't understand why things are happening to me, but as I write about them I am able to see they are blessings in disguise. It was wonderful to write about my blessings.
And finally, the most obvious thing was that I was able to sit down and really think about my day. There were some days I felt like I had nothing to write about worth mentioning, but as I sat and thought about it little things would pop into my mind. I would remember cute little things the girls did or said, impressions I had, conversations I had...and I was able to write them down. I captured more memories this month than I have in a long time. Things that I otherwise would have been forgotten. That alone is worth the entire months' challenge. I realized that in as little as five to ten minutes a day I was able to start a priceless gift to myself. The gift of remembering. Lately with my thyroid being out of wack, it is hard for me to remember where I put my car keys two minutes ago, let alone the cute things Hadley said to me last week.
I am SO grateful to have done this challenge. It is definitely something I plan to keep doing each day. I hope that someday my journal will be read by my children or my children's children and they will see me for who I truly am. I hope they will be able to relate to my struggles, and see that I am just an imperfect person trying my hardest to improve each day. And most importantly I hope they see my love for them. I hope they know my intentions are good, even though my actions do not always reflect that. And I hope that I can instill in them the habit of writing in their journals so they can experience the peace and joy that comes from doing so.
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