It Opened My Eyes And I Ceased Striving

2 Corinthians 3:3 Clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of The Living God, not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of flesh, that is of the heart.

Linda Grace Raber, my high school football cohort: GIRLFRIEND YOU ARE THE BEST!

That is a statement that we say to one another, from the heart. Years ago, we both struggled with our marriages.

My marriage made a 360 and we have never been better. We both had baggage to melt away. A lot of growing together, raising our kids, and having the same values, opened our eyes to some of the dysfunctions, with which we were raised. Our marriage has survived 47 years.

Gracie’s marriage, on the other hand, wound up in divorce; however, God gave her permission to depart.

Her life has done a 360 also. So many blessings have been placed upon this woman’s life, that it’s evident that they are God ordained.

Years ago, every football Friday night, we would take turns going to each other’s homes for a post-game feast and celebration.

On one particular Friday, she left her Mickey Mouse Journal: Her Letters to God, at my home.

As I perused her writings it’s as if a shell that incased me had cracked. The cocoon of legalism was beginning to shatter and I finally understood what being “born again,” truly meant.

Catholicism of the 1950’s was outrageous with rules. Everything was a sin, and if you didn’t go in the confession box, at least once a month, you were going to hell.

Catholicism is NO LONGER THAT WAY. It is very ecumenical: Praise God!

Gracie’s journal introduced me to a relationship with Jesus Christ. Linda is Gracie to me, because she brought the freedom of grace and its understandings, to my heart.

The freedom that now lives within me is amazing! Christ pays for all my sins, through grace.

As we become close to Christ through journaling, he changes us and makes us become more like Him. Our journal becomes a record of our growing relationship with God.

Prayer journaling is a venue for mental health. You get to explore yourself, ask questions of God, and He’ll often answer you in ways that you never expected.

You can cry, laugh, yell at God, and tell Him your deepest conflicts and confusions. Often, writing about all of these things, solves your problems and brings healing to the situations.

You will wind up praising God, in the long run. You’ll look back and realize, that many of the problems of the past, were solved by His wisdom.

By getting quiet and shutting out the noisy world, you’ll be able to hear God’s voice on a personal level.

Imagine, someday your prayer journal could become an inheritance for a loved one, and truly help them.

HEAVENLY FATHER: I praise you for teaching me the art of prayer journaling. Help others to see the benefit of spending daily quiet time, in your word….and to Gracie….GIRLFRIEND YOU ARE THE BEST! Amen

Sue Cutler
Fearless Faith