Journal for Freedom

I love to journal.  Writing all my thoughts down is truly therapeutic.  Recently, I began to schedule time to journal at the end of each month as a way for me to track how I am changing, for better or for worse.  It’s fantastic.

Journaling takes me though the process of letting go and being completely honest – even if it hurts.  Within those pages, I allow myself to go through the full spectrum of emotion, from extremely happy to resentful and angry, but without judgment.   The words are a mirror into my soul and its true state, one that is both beautiful and ugly, seeking redemption and cleansing.

I journal because chaos sometimes reigns supreme inside my mind, when a jumble of thoughts leads down the rabbit hole to emotional paralysis.  On paper, my chaotic thoughts are forced into submission.  Eventually, clarity arises and the roots are uncovered.  A plan of attack forms, whether it’s to uproot, replant, weed, or just enjoy the view.

Sometimes, writing can be hard as it forces me to go into battle with the deepest and darkest parts of myself.  But, the things that are terrifying to say out loud can be easier to deal with once they are on paper.  Those things are no longer cooped up inside my mind, a big mess of feelings and dreams and regrets.  Now articulated, they are challenges, obstacles to overcome on my journey to emotional freedom.

Often times, my entries reflect my gratitude for everything God has given me, the good and the bad.  It becomes easier to find contentment when I start to reflect on everything that I have, the situations I made it though, and the lessons I learned.  With contentment, it makes it easier to be who God called me to be.

Yes, we have emotions, but we do not have to be ruled by them.  We can be free to love unconditionally and live contently.  Journaling helps me get there.