Life-Giving Wounds Online Retreat Journal Questions for Week 1
Begin to write the story of your parents’ divorce/ separation. What are some of its effects on you? Do you see yourself reflected in any of the descriptions of the experience of divorce or separation that have been mentioned by the presenter, or would you describe your experience differently? (Consult the tips for writing and drawing your story below)
Do you feel like you have needed to be silent about your experiences of suffering for some reason? Have you ever thought deeply about your parents’ divorce?
Have you felt false guilt about your parents’ divorce or separation, or how you should have handled it in the aftermath? Why do you think this is the case?
Have you experienced in God a deeper Love than your parents’ broken love? Does this deeper Love influence your identity, how you think about yourself, and how you act? Where or in what ways have you encountered that deeper love of God in your life?
Tips for Writing / Drawing Your Story
***Note: If writing, drawing, or sharing about any memory causes you anxiety, then either take a break from it to think about other topics or questions, or simply list it and move on to the next memory. We do not want to induce anxiety or cause anyone to be uncomfortable. The Lord does not want to distress us, but rather heal us through this exercise. Only engage your story as you are comfortable to do so.
Sometimes it helps to envision someone to whom you are addressing your story, in order to write it as a conversation. For example, you could address your story as part of a conversation to God: “Dear God, here’s the story of my parents’ divorce/separation and how it has affected me…” – or to a person you trust.
To help you write your story, begin to write it out chronologically. Start with your earliest memory of family life and then pause on some significant positive and negative memories related to your family life as you recount moments related to your parents’ separation or divorce.
For one or two significant memories, try to describe in detail the sorrow or joy. For instance, you could mention the people present, the surroundings, what you are feeling and thinking, what is happening, what you hear, what you see, what you smell, etc. Use your senses to describe it, but again only engage memories as you feel comfortable to do so.
Alternative: Creating a timeline
If writing out your story seems too big of a task, then consider making a timeline of major moments and events related to your parents’ divorce or separation, “captioned” with a few words or sentences as you see fit.
Alternative: Drawing your story
If you prefer, draw an image or images that answers the journal questions and depicts your story. Please feel free to use the coloring pencils in front of you. If you need more, then please borrow from a table that is not using them.