The Simple Practice of Scripture Writing
And how it guided me home in a moment of panic
A couple years ago, I came across free Scripture writing plans as a simple way to fix my eyes on what is good.
When I began, I was in the middle of a season where a persistent wave of anxiety was lapping at my feet every morning, the levels rising higher as the day wore on. So I printed a plan to copy verses about peace.
I grabbed a composition notebook we had laying around, designated it for the task, and got to work on writing Scripture any time I found myself just treading water. It only took a minute or two, even with the kiddos always floating around me. Then I could look up and see that I was really standing on dry land and could keep pushing forward.
My practice would adapt to the current of the day. Sometimes, I would write the same verse 10 times in a row. Sometimes I would copy a verse and then decide to finish copying the rest of the chapter. Other times, I would really want to sit with just one verse and know more about it, so I would consult a commentary or study notes and I would copy those too when I had an extra moment.
The Full Effect in a Moment of Terror
The full effect of the practice became clear when I was caught driving in a classic Gulf Coast Texas rainstorm complete with flash flooding. Thunderstorms have always terrified me and after Hurricane Harvey flooded our house, I’m especially freaked out by flooding. Like, I only keep my crap together for the sake of the kids kind of freaked out.
As the weather and traffic situation crashed together, I was caught driving through the storm with only had two choices: panic and make the situation worse OR focus and get home.
Considering the options and paying attention to the rest of the vehicles still traveling, I knew in my head that I was safe enough to get home even with the street flooding. But the rest of my body was not convinced. I had to force my terrified nervous system into submission so I could press on.
That’s when the power of the Scripture writing practice took over.
“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.”
(Isaiah 26:3-4)
Without realizing it, I had memorized several passages on peace through the writing repetition and they flooded my mind as soon as I asked God to help me.
Shouting the passages over thunder and lightning, I kept behind trucks that pushed through the water ahead. Convincing myself that I can keep in perfect peace, I focused on where to turn and which streets to take for the least flooding. And little by little, I made it home seconds before the hail started.
After I checked in with everyone worried for me, I shut myself in my closet and had a good ugly cry to thank God for guiding me, tucking His Word into my heart, and orchestrating our day so that my children were not with me during the storm.
Scripture for Life
There is nothing, I promise you, nothing that God’s Word is not useful for in our daily lives. No special circumstance beyond God’s reach. No gray area that Scripture cannot pierce through with clarity.
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
Add Scripture writing into your regular practices or tuck this into your mind as an option for when you’re spinning your wheels in the middle of a muddy day.
Even if you don’t immediately see how it all applies, God’s Word can get you out of that rut and get you home to rest. Just pick up a pen and paper and pay attention.
Free Scripture Writing Plans
Here are a few Scripture writing plans I made that you can have for free. Just click on the link and it opens a PDF* with the passages already on the sheet.
Here is the Scripture writing blog post and the Scripture writing plans that originally got me started.
I plan to make more this year, so let me know if you have any topics or themes that you would love to see and share with others.
Note, because we’re friends:
I am not a graphic designer and all of these are made in Canva in between kid activities and homeschool life. As such, I thank you for your grace AND I totally welcome suggestions and alerts about typos I missed!
What a great idea! I am going to jump on doing this. Thank you!
Love this, Alexis!