Misty Mornings and Grace Filled Evenings: Spiritual Formation through Interactive Reflective Journaling

Imagine you are sitting in a lovely garden. It is in the early hours, when mist enshrouds the liminal space between night and day. Or it may be in the cool of the evening, as a pallet of color begins to emerge just beyond the horizon. You are drawn to quiet reflection and wish to express the musings of your heart in word or verse, in watercolor sketch or photographic image. Such was the experience of the authors of this invitation to spiritual formation through interactive reflective journaling.

Inspired by daily readings from Henri Nouwen’s very personal journal, The Inner Voice of Love: A Journey through Anguish to Freedom, the authors embarked on a several-month process of journaling back and forth to each other: one writing poetic reflections during their “misty morning” quiet time, the other responding with a story that came to mind during their “grace-filled evening”. In this compilation, the authors share excerpts from their own interactive journaling process, provide readers with suggestions for prayer and reflection, and encourage other seekers to add another layer to the story through their own journal reflections.