By Nga Mee Hee

AS I REFLECT on “What Christian spirituality means to me”, the words from the chorus of “He Lives” come to my mind:

“He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!

He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way ... ”

Christian spirituality, to me, is a lifelong journey of fellowshipping and following the Living Lord. It is a lifelong endeavour of growing in the knowledge of Him and His ways, and of walking in His will. The practice of spiritual disciplines is an essential feature in this journey.   

Journalising is one of the spiritual disciplines that has been of great benefit to me. It is an important component of my personal time with God. I journalise my reflections on the day’s reading of His Word, my prayers and what I sense as His response to my prayers. I recall the previous day’s activities and encounters with others, and journalise the evaluation of my response. In addition, I journalise my joy and my sorrow, my faith and my doubt, my triumph and my struggle.

Over time, journalising enables me to perceive God’s dealings with me and to learn to recognise His voice better. Through journalising, I come to see His hand of mercy and grace in my life, and I become more aware of the areas of my life that I need to surrender to Him. This pushes me to yield myself to His transforming power.

Every December, I will set aside time to go through the year’s journal. As I read through the pages of my journal, I would always be overwhelmed by a sense of gratitude to God for His faithfulness, goodness and grace to me. I would then surrender myself afresh to God, especially in those areas that I need His refining touch. That would also be the time for me to seek God for His purpose for me and for the direction of my ministry in the coming year. 

I began my journalising in 1977, the year I entered Trinity Theological College, when the Youth Fellowship presented me with a journal as a farewell gift. Initially, I was not very consistent in making the entry. Over the years, journalising has become very much a part of my Christian spirituality. It puts on record my journey of fellowshipping and following the Lord. 

As I began by quoting the chorus of “He Lives”, I would like to end with another chorus – the chorus of “In the Garden” which expresses well the intimacy and joy of this lifelong journey:

“And He walks with me, and He talks with me,

And He tells me I am His own;

And the joy we share as we tarry there,

None other has ever known.”