Lemons to Lemonade: Tool #2 to Equip You for Battle: WRITE IT DOWN

This week I’m handing you your second tool to help you make lemonade out of your lemons. This will be your “Weapons of Defense #2” to equip you in your battle against whatever hardship you may find yourself in today. And if life is “easy-peesy” for you right now, good for you, but know that your challenges will come. Just want to give you a heads up!

       Are you upset? Confused? Angry? Overwhelmed? 

WRITE IT DOWN.

Journal your thoughts on paper as a dialogue between you and God. God will speak to your heart if you quiet yourself and invite him to speak. Writer and pastor, Chuck Swindoll, calls journaling a spiritual diary “where you are able to see the fingerprint of God in your life.” Our journaling is an opportunity for us to connect with the Creator of the Universe. He knows everything about us and everything that lies ahead of us. Why not invite Him into our mess? 

There is loads of evidence available on the benefits of journaling to help our mental health. You can check out an informative read on Positive Psychology.com for many of the benefits journaling has been found to have for Depression, Anxiety, and Stress.  While “positive psychology” is good stuff, what I’m referring to is much more than a therapeutic brain dump. 

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight”  Proverbs 3:5-6. Learn to express yourself in written conversation with the Lord and you will be walking out these words of wise King Solomon. Consider the discipline of journaling as a way of you surrendering and entrusting your limited perception of your circumstances to your Heavenly Father: God, here is what I’m feeling today and the things I’m struggling with. Take them, Lord, and help me make sense out of them. Tell me what you want me to do next.  

“Breathe and Trust” and acknowledging your great need for God was given last week as your first tool to battle your hardships (see HopeforHardPlaces.com, November 14 blog). Recording on paper your mental distress and your need for God is a great next step that will help you better lay down and leave your burdens with God.

One of the best teachers demonstrating how to express ourselves through journaling is King David. As author of about half of the 150 Psalms in the Old Testament, David taught us that it is acceptable and even healthy at times to “let it all hang out” when we write to God. Listen to David’s words in the following Psalms:

The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. 18:5-6. 

Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help. 22:17 

Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold. I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me. I am worn out calling for help; my throat is parched. My eyes fail, looking for my God. Psalm 69:1-3

Take your lead from David and learn to direct your doubts, fears and complaints to God first. There is safety in expressing yourself on paper in a prayer. You do not need to apologize to God. God is not offended. He will not judge you. He already knows everything you’re thinking.

Here is your assignment this week to help you walk through your hard places (if you so choose to take it). I first started doing this exercise over 20 years ago after reading Becky Tirabassi’s book, Let Prayer Change Your Life. I share this with her permission. It is one of the favorite things I do during my morning quiet times with Jesus to help me experience a greater closeness with the Lord. Tirabassi suggests we choose a Psalm (start at 1 and move through to 150, if you’d like) and paraphrase the psalm into your own words using the pronouns I, me and my. Make it personal. For example, look at Psalm 46 where it says, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth gives way…” Personalize the words and write to God something like this, God you are my refuge and my strength today. You have always been there in the past to help me in my troubles and You will be there for me today. I will not be afraid . God, please help me today not to be afraid. Psalms 18, 23, 27, 30, 34 and 40 are particularly good ones to start with.

You can read more information on journaling and other spiritual tools in my book, Walking Through Fire Without Getting Burned, found on HopeforHardPlaces.com and on Amazon.