What
do you do with the “in between’ s?” Those in between times in your spiritual
life I mean. Those times in between the glorious “summers” and the gloomy
“winters” that come into our earthly journey. Those seasons when everything is
a blessing and those moments when life has its burdens. May I suggest three
things:
First, “hold your plans loosely and God’s
purpose tightly”. We
all love to plan, but when the plan just is not coming together, we also love
to consider either giving up or checking out a new path. Yet the “in betweens”
are moments when often it’s important to recall that in our waiting, God is
operating and that His timing is a lot more like a “crockpot then a
microwave”, getting all the simmering in and just right before He acts. Use
the moments of waiting that is the in between to listen for the whisper of
direction and for the encouragement of determination to keep on track.
Second, be weary to drifting. Often in the in between we have a tendency to
“drift”. We can find ourselves becoming lax with prayer, or taking for granted
a ritual to the point that its crispness has faded. This can easily happen, but
it’s when it becomes an unhealthy habit that we must be weary. Use the
in-between as time to review, refresh, re charge your prayer. Use the time to ponder, pray and
prepare that the “in between” affords.
To
ponder the glories that God has put into life (family, friends, and faith). To
pray over the glooms that gust through life (sadness, sickness, and struggle). Praying for the strength in the “in between”
to appreciate the one and get through the other. Jesus did the same. Scripture
tells us that several times in His ministry He “withdrew to a place by
Himself”. He wanted an “in between” moment. It is spiritually healthy for us to
want one too. Christ took the in-between as a moment to reflect upon the
Father’s will, to ensure that His mission was on track and that His priorities
were in balance. He also took the time to pray for those who were on the
journey with Him. What a great use of the “in between” for us also.
Finally, don’t let the “me” become bigger than the “we”! We can all enter into moments, especially in the
in between, when we
find ourselves face down and confused. In those times we have two major
temptations. First, we can believe that our circumstance is the worst ever and
that we are alone in it. This lack of perspective leads us to live in the
“world of what if” which is a downward slope of despair. Look for the signs of
this happening and find ways to reach out in giving to others, it will take
your away from self. Secondly, when “me becomes bigger than we”, our trek is
often toward the “apple of discouragement.” In this garden we often want to give up. It is
so important to bring to the forefront of our mind that we are still in the race and
certainly not alone. We may fall, we may be confused, we may not know what the
next step is, but God will carry us to the finish.
St Thomas More, who was in the in-between
of seeking faithfulness to God’s will as he tried to be “a man for all seasons”
prayed:
“Give me, good Lord, a longing to be with you in all I face: not for the
avoiding of the calamities of this wicked world, but because in them I become
yours.” The in between
is a time to walk with Him in humility, seeking His purpose, taming our pride
and growing in Him. In the end - we will become His and we will be Home. So enjoy the Fall. It is in
between. Take it in. Ponder, Prepare, Pray. Bask in those summer glories.
Batten down for those winter glooms. Rejoice - a new season is here !