Spiritual Memoir: Why Write One?

Have you considered writing a spiritual memoir?

Or, if writing isn’t your skill, how about recording one on your phone?

I think everyone should compose one.

It’s important. Here are five reasons why.

Write to examine your spiritual life

I wrote a spiritual memoir a dozen years ago after an accusation on a web forum.

Someone who had been posting with us for several years took umbrage about my comment.

Her scathing remarks concluded with, “If that’s what you think, I don’t believe you could possibly be a Christian.”

I learned long ago not to respond aggressively to someone I’d never met.

But this was a strike at my character.

So, I did the only sensible thing. I stood up and walked away.

But her words rankled. Could the Holy Spirit be pointing to something about me I hadn’t realized?

I broached the question to two spiritual authorities in my life. They both dismissed her remarks.

But, I didn’t.

Maybe I’d gone “wobbly” somewhere? If I wrote a spiritual memoir, I might find out if I had strayed from my first love.

I’m happy to report she was wrong.

You can best see God’s will in your “rearview mirror.”

I came to see that interpreting God’s will for your life often cannot be seen at the moment.

What seems like a tragedy today, may seem in the future as the hinge that changes everything for the good.

Writing a spiritual memoir can provide insight.

Those terrible moments when I thought everything was ruined?

In writing and reflecting, I could see they’d actually been changes of direction.

I didn’t see those tragedies as anything but horror at the time, but now I know that in the grand scheme of my life, they were important and for the good.

The memories don’t hurt anymore.

Spiritual memoir and your friends

I wrote my book in chapters linked time-wise to places where I lived.

Several chapters focused on the power of specific books, both Christian and secular, to change my thinking or understanding of God.

Different denominations affected me in positive ways–important for that time.

Para-church ministries also made a difference.

But, the most important value for the manuscript came from our friends’ reactions.

One of our former churches was in the middle of a terrible lawsuit. The pastor felt discouraged, though relying on God’s mercy.

I sent him the chapter which detailed my experiences there but also describing his positive influence on my family.

He loved reviewing the past so much, he called us on the phone, and we spoke for an hour.

The spiritual memoir encouraged other friends who did not realize how they, too, had changed my spiritual life.

It was wonderful to hear from everyone. But even better that we all came away encouraged by the memories.

Write to draw closer to God

The more I wrote, the more astonished I became at God’s clear hand in my life.

I saw mercy, grace, amazing “coincidences,” and, time and again, love.

I came away so thankful for the God who plucked me safe for His kingdom.

Asking God to reveal the truth of situations I didn’t understand at the time, helped.

Remembering moments when I was particularly dependent on God, strengthened my appreciation.

Recognizing that what I thought was abandonment, really was His patience.

I came away humbled, grateful, and so thankful.

A spiritual memoir for your family

Consider writing a spiritual memoir for your family.

You won’t always be here to explain your decisions to your children and grandchildren.

Your “witness” to God’s work in your life can disappear if you don’t leave the stories.

If you have family members who don’t acknowledge your faith, this can be a tool.

And when your children read about their childhood through your spiritual eyes, it can change them.

Suddenly, all your seemingly ridiculous decisions make sense.

You might even consider having copies shared at your funeral–a final statement, as it were, on your life.

Writing a spiritual memoir was one of my biggest spiritual blessings.

Examples of how?

If you’re interested in writing any sort of memoir but aren’t sure where to start, consider Everything Memoir with Susy Flory.

It’s a Facebook group loaded with instruction–and free.

If you’re looking for examples, consider a few of my favorites:

• Surprised by Oxford by Carolyn Weber (as well as her recent release, Sex and the City of God)
• Waiting for Snow in Havana by Carlos Eire
• Angry Conversations with God by Susan Isaacs.

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