For those of you who keep a spiritual journal or have considered doing so you might be interested in a writing retreat being hosted at the Days of Deepening Friendship blog. There will be posts up each day between now and the end of the week. The posts are being written by Loyola Press editor, Vinta Hampton Wright.

I am using this ‘writing retreat’ this week to rediscover using my journal, something that has become a bit hit and miss recently. I first began using a journal when I started spiritual direction. My director said that with all God does in our lives (particularly as I jumped straight in at the deep end, with the Exercises) we need to write something of what happens in our prayer time and what happens in our daily life. A journal can help our spiritual lives in a couple of ways. Firstly, it enables us to reflect on the immediate experience of prayer or of the events of a day. Taking the time to write, with the aim of looking for what God has been doing or how we have reacted to God enables us to be more aware. Secondly, it is easy to forget what happened a few days ago or last week or last month. Reviewing our journal, prayerfully can give us a glimpse of what God is doing over a week, a fortnight, a month. Our spiritual lives are never static. God is always calling us into a deeper relationship with him. Keeping and reviewing a journal can help us ‘get a handle’ on what God is doing.

Like many other things a journal is a tool in our walk with God. Whether using the DDF Writing retreat or trying on your own, you might find it a tool that helps you glimpse God in a new way.