Living in the In-Between
Living in the In-Between
A biopsy or medical procedure is completed, and you are waiting on a report. The in-between time can be all-consuming.
A job interview and you are waiting to hear a decision. The in-between time can be anxiety-ridden.
A parent with declining health, but God has not called them home just yet. The in-between time can be exhausting.
Expecting a new baby, but there are still weeks left in your pregnancy. The in-between time can feel never-ending.
An argument with your spouse and apologies are slow to happen. The in-between time can be painful.
In each of those situations, the in-between time looks different, but they bring about similar feelings—all-consuming, anxiety-ridden, exhausting, never-ending, painful.
How do we live emotionally and spiritually healthy in these in-between moments in our lives?
Navigating In-Between Seasons With God
Recently, through my own in-between season, God impressed in my heart two words. Declare and Remember.
In the in-between seasons of life, we must declare the truth of who God is and who we are.
Who is God?
God is unchanging. He has been with you in the past, He is with you now in the in-between, and He will be with you in the future.
He is strong and mighty. Jesus spoke, and the waves and winds obeyed Him.
God is all-knowing. God sees where you are today. He sees you in this in-between season. And He knows what is on the other side.
He is always everywhere. God is with you in the in-between!
God is faithful, and He can be trusted with our fears and our future.
He is good, even when we don’t see or feel His goodness.
God is love, and He loves you at the beginning, the in-between, and in the resolution of every situation in life.
God is our refuge, our strong tower to run to when life is swirling around us. God is our safe spot!
Declare Truth in the In-Between
Often, we like to say we are anxious, exhausted, overwhelmed, hurt, etc. However, those are feelings, not truths about who we are. We must declare the truth about who we are in those in-between moments that make us feel all the negative emotions.
We are:
God’s children.
Dearly loved.
Redeemed and forgiven, not condemned.
Held close and protected under His wing.
Strengthened in our weakness.
Women of purpose.
Called by name.
Tended, gathered, carried, and led by our Shepherd.
When I take even a few moments to focus on the truth of who God is and who God says I am, my spirit settles, my heart feels peace, and my mind focuses a little more clearly.
In an in-between season, let us be women who declare the truth!
Remember God in the In-Between
Not only did God impress on me to declare the truth, He specifically gave me the word remember to hold onto.
Often, I feel when spiritual truths are to be declared, then there’s no room for my emotions. If God is all the things I listed above, and I am all the things he says I am, then there is no reason to feel negative emotions, correct? That would be incorrect. However, for some reason, in my little Christian world, I think I was taught that at some point in my life. If not, I taught that to myself and believed it for an extremely long time.
To be emotionally healthy, we must remember a few things in those in-between moments.
Remember we are designed with a longing to be known. It is okay to have emotions and be vulnerable with a trusted counselor, pastor, or friend. Sisters, let’s not pretend that because God is “good,” (or another one of His characteristics) then we are not allowed to feel sad or hurt or overwhelmed. Vulnerability in sharing our emotions with a safe person is a most excellent thing for our emotional health.
Remember God collects your tears. Tears are more than okay in the in-between moments. As a matter of fact, often, tears will give you a much-needed emotional release. For some strange reason, I like to hold mine in like they are sacred. However, when I finally calm my heart enough to feel my emotions and allow the tears to stream down my face a peace follows. I stand back up a bit later, a stronger, healthier person.
Lastly, remember in the in-between moments, our time with God is critical. Even if you simply sit in silence, it is an opportunity for God to minister to your aching heart. In my in-between moments, I tend to push God away and let my time with Him dwindle. Why? Because the enemy is convincing me to believe untruths about who God is. Why would I want to spend time with someone who isn’t for me and doesn’t love me? When I listen to the enemy, he directs my thoughts. Therefore, declaring truth is imperative, so the enemy doesn’t have an opportunity to control our thoughts.
Wife Step: Surrender your in-between time over to God in prayer. Choose an area where you need to declare God’s truth in your life. Remember his promises to give you comfort and peace.
Karen lives in Madison, Alabama with her husband and three children. Karen has served as Preschool and Children’s Pastor and has been involved in women’s ministry for many years leading small groups, making hospital visits, organizing retreats, and encouraging the hearts of women. Karen now blogs at Glimpses of Faith and Struggles. What started out as a way to communicate medical facts has become a place where Karen uses life experiences to encourage others in their life journey. When she’s not busy caring for her family or writing, you might find her cooking or crafting.
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