Well it's been 7+ months since I last wrote something in my journal. Busyness, I guess. As they say, "life happens", you get into this lull, this zone, you get involved in life, and before you know it months have passed, and nothing's done, no updates, no writing.
And it's not like nothing's happened in life. Actually, the opposite is true. New connections have been formed by way of friendships, relationships, at work, outside of work, and at church; and events have come and gone too, celebrations, parties, and so on.
When I lived in Moose Jaw I had a journaling routine that worked very well for me. Every Sunday morning, after the 8:30am service at church, I went to Encounters or Java Express to reflect and write down the thoughts on my heart, while enjoying a nice cup of coffee. But ever since I moved to Saskatoon that discipline has gone by the wayside.
I used the word discipline above, and that is truly the right word. Writing is a discipline. I remember speaking to my spiritual director in Regina about this last year, and saying to him that my way of doing lectio divina was to journal on Sundays, and he responded with resounding affirmation. The amount of energy required to journal is surprisingly high. Reflecting on my life, my actions, the things that are going well and the things that are horribly awry, take energy: time, and physical, emotional, and spiritual effort.
Part of the reason it takes a lot of energy for me to journal is because I use it as a way of not only documenting my life, but evaluating my actions and experiences too, and in a way that is prayerful, reflective, propelling me forward to be a more faithful follower of Jesus.
And it goes without say that journaling implies a certain amount of vulnerability too: allowing others to see not only the things I do well, but also the things I botch up.
So in the coming days and weeks I intend to not only keep up with the present, but catching up with the past too, all the way back to July of last year. There will be some gaps, but they will hopefully be minimal.
Here are the areas I will focus on:
* work / vocation - new life at St. Ann's
* home - private space at a high cost
* relationship - from idealism to realism
* family - distance and disconnect
* faith and church - the switch to Rome
* prairie life - peaceful, yet active
* travels- to Banff, Vancouver, Seattle, and Mexico
Backdated posts can be seen in the corresponding month.
Lord, give me the energy to be reflective on the life that I live, so that the events of my past can be a catalyst to better serve you and my neighbour in the future. Amen.
