No matter how far I stray.

No matter how much I neglect her.

No matter how long it’s been since I’ve hit that “Publish” button.

No matter the seasons of my life that come and go, she is steady. She’s always there waiting for me to come back to her. To spend time with her.

My trusty keyboard.

On many days it’s my spiral bound notebook. Or take your pick because I have many spiral bound notebooks.

I need time to stop and a bit of quiet. Believe me. That bit of quiet is rare these days. But when I do have it, all the words come tumbling out onto the page. Today it’s the computer screen.

And somehow from this jumble of words, thoughts, questions and feelings, I piece things together. They begin to make sense. The root of what’s been churning in me, troubling me, begins to come clear. That brilliant idea that’s been trying to surface begins to emerge. What’s been making me anxious, once it’s written down in plain sight, is not so scary as my head was making it out to be. God reveals those deep and quiet truths and my praise and worship back to Him take form in writing.

I just need to write.

I still need people to talk to.

I do.

I have this trusty and loving handful of souls that listen patiently.

But when my insides feel jumbled or I have big things to work through, writing it out has always been my way of sorting all my stuff. It’s how I best process my thoughts and feelings. And sometimes I share those thoughts and feelings with everyone, for some crazy reason.

Maybe because I know others need to hear that they aren’t the only ones who are grappling with life. Maybe because there is a connection people feel to each other when we share and see that we aren’t so different after all. Or maybe we are different and that’s what makes like so beautiful and interesting. Different often lends perspective.

For me I just say it so much better when I write it. I say things through the tapping of the keys and the scratching of the pen that I just can’t say out loud or face to face.

That’s why coming back to this space again and again is something I cherish so deeply. Sometimes the space is my trusty ol’ notebook that no one will ever see but me; and other times it’s right here on this screen. I’m so thankful for a place to share, a place to create and hopefully encourage. I’m equally as thankful for an audience, big or small, who keep reading.

Thanks for reading,

Jen