As Solomon writes in Ecclesiastes 3, there is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens. Likewise there is an hour for every activity in our days:
A time to clean the kitchen and a time to sit down and rest,
A time to shop and a time to choose contentment,
A time to lead the way and a time to be still,
A time to read emails and a time to read a book,
A time to eat fast food and a time cook slow food,
A time to belly laugh and a time to empathize,
A time to swoop in and save the day and a time to wait,
A time to serve and a time to be served,
A time to stand stubborn and a time to yield,
A time to keep peace with silence and time to make peace with honesty,
A time to text a friend and a time to pray in the secret place,
A time to watch a movie and a time to journal out hard things,
A time to control emotion and a time to weep it out,
A time to let go and a time to keep.
Choosing cannot be left to whim. We must plan ahead. Where better to plan than in a journal?
In your journal, you can prayerfully daydream, plan and recenter yourself. A few times each year, I set aside time for these steadying entries: When I spy daffodils pushing up or the first splash of red on a maple leaf, I pause and daydream about how to savor the months ahead and align myself with the new season. In the weeks after Christmas and before school starts in August, I ask God questions about my purpose, and we sort through my priorities to hold some closer and toss some out entirely. And anytime I sense my core slipping, I stop and reset.
Solomon lists in Ecclesiastes 3, “For everything there is a season… a time to keep, and a time to cast away.” “Keep” means more than holding onto an object. We keep promises, secrets, laws, records, wine, journals or horses. We keep quiet, keep calm, keep warm, keep watch, keep house, keep the Sabbath, keep up, keep right, keep counsel, keep the pantry stocked, keep the home fires burning and keep keepsakes. We keep schedules, traditions, memories, habits and values too. To keep is to remember, to savor, to manage, to obey or to guard. A keep is the safe haven in the deeps of a fortress- it’s a hidden center, a refuge.
Proverbs 4 says to “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flows the springs of life.” I find that, in order to savor life fully and obey the Lord faithfully, I have to remember who I am and guard my values by managing my habits. I have to sort my priorities and choose what to “cast away.” In other words, I have to keep my keep.
My journal is central to the work of keeping. Yes, I journal to work through specific decisions and make detailed plans. But before that, I go deeper. I journal to remind myself of who I am and to ask God questions about what He wants me to do. I don’t take on His instructions like a to-do list or pull on my identity like a same-size-fits-all t-shirt. I invite God to uncover hang-ups in my heart then let Him heal me to the toes and direct my steps. I ask Him about the woman He designed me to be and the things He planned for me to do. I worship. Only then, can I make decisions with clarity from a state of wholeness.
I have written three entry-starters to help you plan. These are not so much instructions as idea generators. Make it your own.
JOURNALING TO PLAN I. Finding Your Annual Rhythm
JOURNALING TO PLAN II. Examining Your Purpose and Progress
JOURNALING TO PLAN III. Choose Your Harvest
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