On this blog, I’ve tried to cover topics that address common questions seen in the Bible journaling community….today’s is one I know many of us have been ‘stuck’ on many times – me included!
“I don’t know what to journal.”
-All of us at some point
Sometimes the answer to this dilemma is: God hasn’t spoken, so maybe I’m not supposed to create a page right now. If the point of Bible journaling is in response to what God has said, perhaps those “stumped” moments should encourage us to set aside some extra time for the Lord….listening. Waiting on Him. Reading, meditating, praying…and letting the Holy Spirit do the leading.
But other times, we may have received a word from the Lord, but it’s not fully “baked” yet. Maybe there’s no visual with it. Or the idea hasn’t gelled yet. We need to spend more time – sometimes weeks – praying about it, letting the Holy Spirit show us what to create as we meditate on the truth we’ve been given.
That’s all well and good…but we want to create. Right now. We have time, the baby is asleep, we have a bonus afternoon off work – and that “itch” to Bible journal strikes. That big idea isn’t done yet, so what do I create in the meantime?
Journal what you know.
Think about the common things in your life: your family, your pets, your hobbies, your favorite foods, or special places. Are there lessons you’ve learned from any of those?
- Have your children taught you to stare up at the clouds in wonder for hours? (Paint clouds!)
- Did God reveal Himself to you on a quiet morning on your last beach vacation? (Draw a seashell!)
- Does eating your favorite food or drinking a favorite beverage make you grateful for the daily gifts God provides? (Draw them with a prayer of thankfulness!)
The dogs in the Bible journaling page in this post were created because I’m a dog lover – and have learned so much from my pups about living in the moment, forgiving instantly, rejoicing in every opportunity….the lesson documented here came from noticing that my dogs look to me for everything – they wait to see if it’s time to eat, to play, to sleep, to snuggle. They’re ok with whatever it is, they just want to know what I want. And I would love to be like that with my heavenly Father! Oh to be sitting at His feet at every moment, awaiting His instruction!
My dogs have made it into a number of my Bible journaling pages as I learn more from them. You may find lessons learned from your family members, from humdrum daily activities, or from quiet moments that you treasure. These are excellent lessons to jot down to journal on those days when we have the time and the urge to create, but the “big” idea is still incubating. I’ve learned not to rush those deep revelations – and spend time creating around topics I live with on a daily basis while I wait on the Lord to teach me.