Love Letters
Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; Cross‑examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I’m about; See for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong—then guide me on the road to eternal life. Psalm 139:23-24 MSG
Jay and I recently discovered the love letters my parents wrote to one another almost daily from the time they met in 1944 until they were married in 1945. As I read them, I laughed, cried, and got a deeper insight into their relationship and experiences, the times they lived in, and their growing love for one another.
Years ago I picked up the habit of writing—almost daily—as my parents did. The words I wrote, however, were not for my spouse. They were for me. A chance to say on paper what was happening inside me that I might not say aloud. A chance to reflect with God on the relationships, circumstances, and experiences of my life. As I read my parents’ words, I’ve also been reading and reflecting back through my own twenty years of journals. I am astonished at all they have revealed. Reading these journals has been a way for me to re‑member my history, to hear my heart and my cries for help, to see God’s work and love for me through all the ups and downs of life. Each journal entry strengthens my faith.
If you are like me, most of the time I can’t remember what I did yesterday. So journaling is not only a gift to my memory but also to my life of faith. In her book Journaling as a Spiritual Practice, Helen Cepero compares the work of journaling to the work of panning for gold, a way of sifting through our life experiences in search of God’s presence in our everyday life. It is a way of paying attention to our own reality—the joys, failures, dreams, and wounds. If you don’t re‑member God at work in your life, who will?
(P.S. Jay journals too, and he agrees that this daily writing is an amazing practice for all people of faith.)For Reflection
What is stirring in your experiences, heart, and thoughts?
When could you sit down today to write and reflect on them?Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, help me pause and re‑member the gift of this day, the gift of the people who come across my path, the experiences and circumstances that this day brings. Help me to carve out time to reflect and see where You were evident in it. In your Son’s name, Amen.