November Practice: Immanuel Journaling
Interactive gratitude AND being seen and understood by God
Here we are in November, the month that culture has set aside as a time for gratitude. Kids write what they’re thankful for on paper leaves and hang them in school hallways. We make gratitude lists, writing something new each evening. We go around Thanksgiving tables and share something we’re thankful for with our family and friends before digging into turkey and pumpkin pie.
This is all good. It encourages me and reminds me to notice what is good in my life and to say thank you. But who are we thanking? For me, it’s God, the giver of all good things.
This month, our practice is Immanuel Journaling. This comes from the book Joyful Journey and is a process designed to practice experiencing God’s presence. It’s based in both scripture and neuroscience and appropriately, it begins with gratitude.
Since the process is not mine, instead of writing it out for you, I’m going to attach a worksheet given to me by my spiritual director that you can use.
Here’s the part that felt hard for me at first, but has helped me connect to God more deeply with practice: as you engage the process, you are asked to respond from God’s perspective. So you first tell God what you’re thankful for, and then you let God respond to your gratitude, writing what comes to mind.
This can feel sticky. Am I actually hearing from God? Am I making this up? Could this be true? I’ve had all of these thoughts.
But here’s where I’ve landed: If it sounds like what God would say (it aligns with God’s character and His words from Scripture) and it doesn’t sound like something I’d typically say to myself (more encouraging and hopeful and kind than my typical self talk) it might just be words God wants to say to me. If it draws me closer to God and His love, I can trust it.
The journaling process moves you through interactive gratitude, to being seen, heard, understood, and cared for by God in the very place you come to Him.
You can find the worksheet here.
I hope it helps you connect with God as you engage Him through gratitude and allow yourself to be seen, heard and understood.
Some quick links:
If you are interested in spiritual direction you can check out some FAQ here.
If you’re ready to schedule a meeting, you can do so here. (Remember, first sessions are free for subscribers of spacemaking!)
If you’re interested in retreats, you can get more info here.
And may you encounter the God who loves you as you make space in your schedule and your soul!