There's something about the smell of books that I love. I really like going to an old bookstore and cracking open some ancient book and just smelling it. I know, I'm weird. But the smell of old books - all the thoughts, the time, and the memories that they have - its good stuff.
In 2003, I began writing in a prayer journal. I had always wanted to keep something like that and after a counselor told me to start doing this, I have never looked back. It has gradually evolved from a list of prayers written on loose-leaf paper and stuck in a folder, to an assignment for my "Advanced Christian Thought" class (good stuff), to an extension of my heart, mind and hand. It's a "commonplace" book because it notes all of my meaningful experiences with culture, academia, society, and in all, God. This book, then, is quite literally, a "common place" for my thoughts because they all end up going there.
I'm now on my third journal and it won't be long until I'm ready for a fourth. One day, I'd like to fill and entire bookshelf with my thoughts in written form.
I can't do that with a computer's blog entries.
I don't want this blog to become the place where I write everything. I don't want this to become the place where I put most of my time - because, while I really enjoy sharing my thoughts with you, faithful readers, I have more thoughts that only matter between me and God.
It is so neat to look back and see how my writing has evolved and how I share my thoughts with God. It started out as a list of things to pray for, to a book of purely theological thoughts, to a book of theology, quotes, Scripture, pleas, petitions, jokes, a leaf from a concentration camp, lists, drawings, and prayers.
My challenge to you, dear friends, is to do the same. Reflection in today's world is so hard to come by. We run around and do more and more until we can't remember what we've done. Those thoughts that we had yesterday about God in our lives - we can't find them in our hurried and crammed brains. What God did in our lives can't be found in the pages of our hearts because we've had to scribble over that and mark something new. The changes we undergo find themselves unnoticed and fade into normality. By writing things down and reflecting on God's work in our lives we can remember more effectively His words and we can see a visible reminder of His faithfulness over the years. Typing them on a blog or what have you may be good because the information can be stored until who knows how long, but will you even be around to enjoy them when that time comes?
Take some time to reflect on your life. Recall the good times. Remember the bad times. Grow in their midst. Make your thoughts "commonplace".
2 comments:
It's funny that you wrote this, because I was planning to do something similar starting in the fall. I my goal to write down all the major things that happen to me from day to day, what I am reading in my Bible, significant prayer requests, people I'm praying for, thoughts on my mind etc. I think it will be interesting to go back through it at the end of next year and see how much I've grown in my faith and developed my walk with the Lord.
When you are old and dead (mainly dead), I will purchase your volumes of thought for as much money as it takes.
Not because they are necessarily worth a lot of money, but because I think you're an ok guy.
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