Can journaling be a ministry?

This is a photograph of the craft room in the apartment complex where my son, Ben and I live. We'd never used it until a couple of weeks ago when the lovely Sarah Anderson came over for our habitual holiday play date! In the past we've managed in our apartment but after a recent furniture shuffle and declutter we no longer have a suitably sized table or desk to  spread out all our crafty bits and bobs, especially the gelli plates and stamping paraphernalia. On an impulse I asked at the reception desk whether it was possible for me to use the craft room if it wasn't in use by a group or outside activity. Yes! So, Tuesday morning found the three of us able to spread out and enjoy this lovely bright room for our crafty/arty get together.

We left the door wide open so that anyone passing by could drop in to see what we were doing. After not too long an elderly lady popped her head in and asked me what we were doing, she's quite a lonely lady and doesn't chat to very many people, she rarely gets out so the days can be long and tedious at times. We invited her in and Sarah and I showed her the patterned papers we were making, I also showed her my Journaling Bible which I said she was free to look through. She did, for quite some time and was very interested in what we were doing. Ben was busy colouring in one of his (many) Christian Colouring Books, she spent some time watching him and then said "I can do colouring."

She went on her way and our pile of deli papers grew, half an hour later she returned, she handed me a ten pound note which she absolutely refused to take back and insisted I was to use it to by some things for our crafting. I asked her whether she'd be interested in a Christian colouring book like Ben's and she said she would, she couldn't do art or craft but she thought she could colour. A little later the lady who runs the events and activities in our complex came in, she too asked what we were doing, we explained that we were just getting together before the holidays finished but that we meet together as a bigger group once a month at the Salvation Army.

The result? We have been asked to run the group here instead, we can have the room free on the understanding that any residents who want to can drop in, join in, have a go, have a cup of tea or just have a chat. We assured her that they can take any art they create home with them and that they will be made welcome. The group will still be DEN and will still be advertised as Bible Journaling though in the poster I will explain that any art that they attempt can be used for different purposes.

As for our lovely friend who visited, I took up the Colouring the Psalms book and a box of new crayons, she was delighted and again said she could colour but couldn't do "art" I told her we were going to meet regularly and she's going to come along (she hoped it was every week!) and she's even said she might even have a little go at some of the activities if she's well enough. Her ten pounds has bought four packs of crayons and felt tips to start us off when we meet here in three weeks time.

Weekends can be very long, isolating and lonely for people who don't have family or friends to visit them or take them out. DEN can now still be the wonderful opportunity for us to share our faith and enjoy our journaling and love of the Word, but now it can be a witness and a ministry, reaching out and welcoming new people, a listening ear, a hand to hold, a cup of tea and a biscuit, and hopefully, gradually, an opportunity to pray for people. Please pray for our group as we test the waters, we're trialling this till Christmas, and we'll share photos and our thoughts as we go.