Why your journal needs to be messy

The other day, I hesitated before my pen hit the paper. I felt a familiar pressure rising in my chest that need to say the “right” thing. Even here, in the privacy of my own notebook, I was trying to edit my soul before I even poured it out.

We often treat our journals like a performance. We want the handwriting to be neat, the prayers to be eloquent and the insights to be profound. But a sanitized journal often leads to a sanitized relationship with God.

If we treat our quiet time like a highlight reel, we lose the very refuge it is meant to be. We are bringing our “Sunday Best” to a Tuesday morning crisis and it creates a distance between us and the Healer.

The “Mess” is Where the Ministry Happens

Think of the Psalms. David didn’t edit his frustration. He didn’t polish his grief until it looked polite. He poured it out raw.

“How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?”

Psalm 13:1

“How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?” (Psalm 13:1)

That isn’t a tidy prayer. It is a messy, honest, human cry. And it was exactly where God met him.

When you allow your writing to be chaotic, scribbled out words, tear stains, unfinished sentences and honest frustration you are doing something brave. You are bringing your actual self to God, not your ideal self.

permission to scribble

If you are feeling stuck by the blank page today, remember that your journal is a workshop, not a museum. The mess is proof that you are doing the work. You don’t need a profound conclusion for every entry. Sometimes, “I don’t know yet” is the most faithful thing you can write.

your journaling prompts

• The Raw Letter: Write a letter to God beginning with, “I am afraid to tell You that…” Don’t filter the ending. Let it be petty, angry, or confused.
• The Scribble Prayer: If you have no words, take a black pen and scribble over a page while focusing on the emotion you are feeling (anger, confusion, exhaustion). Then, write one sentence over the scribble: “You see this, too.”
• The “Un-Instagrammable” List: List 5 things about your life right now that aren’t “pretty” but are real. Thank God that He is present in those specific messes.

With grace, Debbera