Stillness, Journals, and the Day I Finally Heard God

 

 

A few years ago, I took a two-day trip—solo. No phone. No talking. Just sleep, solitude, and silence. It was the first time in my life I could think beyond emails, bills, and busyness. That’s when I heard God. Not audibly. But clearly. I had to stop listening to the noise to finally hear the answers.

That trip led me to journaling—a habit I never thought I'd start. I was the kind of guy who just muscled through everything. But journaling became the first crack in the wall. I started pouring out frustration, grief, even gratitude.

I told a friend, “Just write like you’re talking to yourself.” That’s where the real work begins. It’s yours—not your boss’s, your wife’s, or your church’s. What’s been rattling in your head deserves space on paper.

My faith story is a long one. Church as a kid. Christian school. A long pause. And then, Easter Sunday in my late 40s—I walked into a church for the first time in years and didn’t walk out the same. Something moved. I stayed. I got baptized. I surrendered.

What I’ve learned is this: God was always there. I just wasn’t tapping into Him.

I read The Case for Heaven by Lee Strobel. It reminded me of my dad’s near-death experience—how he saw the light and came back transformed. He wasn’t a church guy, but he knew God was real after that. So did I. I just didn’t know God could help me daily. Now I do.

The transformation didn’t happen overnight. But the tools I’ve gained—journaling, prayer, Scripture, stillness—are now daily weapons in my fight for peace and purpose. If you’re exhausted from doing it all on your own, there’s a better way. Let’s walk it together.