Something speaks to us, beckons us, calls us to leave the place where we call home, to step out into the unkown. We obey.
The destination is unclear, uncertain. We take steps in its direction, we calculate the goal, but the outline of this new home seems just out of reach, out of focus against the landscape of the present.
There is a place that lies right in the middle of where we have been and where we are going. This is the “in the meantime.” This is the place where we are no longer safe in the comfort of where we have lived, yet we have not arrived at this new home, this new passion, this new purpose. We feel stuck somehow in a “no-man’s-land” of sorts.
Our “in the meantime’s” can seem interminable. Each step we take feels like wet sand beneath our feet, the ground shifting unpredictably underneath us. Not quite solid, certainly not steady. All we want is to arrive, to accomplish our goal, to exhale.
The energy with which we began this journey has long vanished. Each step now is calculated and deliberate.
Until we arrive at our destination, the question becomes, what do we do “in the meantime?” How do we remain centered and steadfast in a season that is so clouded and vague?
The truth is we will all experience these seasons in our lives. God is constantly about the work of healing us, growing us, transforming us. There are times when He calls us to step outside of our comfort zone to birth something new in us, to lead us into a new season, to accomplish a new task.
Yet these seasons can be the most challenging, most unsettling to our souls.
There are three things NOT to do when you find yourself living “in the meantime.”
1. DON’T STOP
Take the next step. One step at a time. Instead of becoming overwhelmed by the distance between you and your destination, make your focus simply be today — walking well today. Breathe. Do the best with what is in front of you right in the moment. Let go of the rest. Let go of the destination.
God is more interested in your “in the meantime” than He is your destination. Your “in the meantime” is where you are healed, strengthened and prepared for the journey that lies ahead. If you focus on walking well each step, each day, you will not only be better prepared for your promised land, you will soon find your promised land right before your eyes.
2. DON’T LOOK BACK
You cannot go home again. It will not be home. You have taken steps forward toward a new place that is waiting for you. Resist the temptation to long for the old, to wonder if you should turn around and go back to the old home, the familiar. The children of Israel could not return to Egypt. You cannot return to what was.
Stay present to what is “in the meantime.” Find peace in the unkown, the unfamiliar. Let go of your need to control, to claim, to own. Right now is where your healing lies, where your transformation unfolds. [clickToTweet tweet="Don’t miss the blessing of now because you are holding onto the memories of yesterday." quote="Don’t miss the blessing of now because you are holding onto the memories of yesterday."]
[clickToTweet tweet="Right now is where your healing lies, where your transformation unfolds. " quote="Right now is where your healing lies, where your transformation unfolds. "]
3. DON’T GIVE UP
It is vitally important to speak kindly and truthfully to yourself. In a season where so much is unkown, begin to speak to your heart the truth that you do know, that you can safely hold.
The truth for me “in the meantime” is that I know who I am, I know who God is, I know what God has called me to, I know why I do what I do. The truth is also that I am not God. I cannot see the destination. My vision may or may not be my destination. The truth is that God loves me. He holds me in His hands. The truth is He is someone I can trust. No matter what unfolds, no matter what the future brings, He is good. He is my destination. I will be OK.
[clickToTweet tweet="No matter what the future brings, God is good. He is my destination. I will be OK." quote="No matter what the future brings, God is good. He is my destination. I will be OK."]
What is the next step you need to take today? How can you walk well today?
If you are living “in the meantime,” know that this season is purposeful in your life. Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) encourages, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
He longs to be your most trusted friend. His plan for your life is sure.
Don’t stop. Don’t look back. Don’t give up.
Let’s find peace – “in the meantime!”
Blessings,
Lisa
About Lisa
I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, author, coffee lover, and wife. My online community lisamurrayonline.com provides a compassionate place in the midst of the stresses and struggles of life. At heart, I am just a Southern girl who loves beautiful things, whether it is the beauty of words found in a deeply moving story, the beauty of a meal cooked with love, the beauty of a cup of coffee with a friend, or the beauty seen in far away landscapes and cultures. I have fallen passionately in love with the journey and believe it is among the most beautiful gifts to embrace and celebrate. While I grew up in the Florida sunshine, I live with my husband just outside Nashville in Franklin, TN.
About Peace for a Lifetime
In my new book, Peace for a Lifetime, I share the keys to cultivating a life that’s deeply rooted, overflowing, and abundant, the fruit of which is peace. Through personal and professional experience as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, I've discovered how to take the broken pieces of life and find indestructible peace with herself, God and with others. Through my story and other’s stories you’ll realize that you can experience the life for which you long. You can experience abundance beyond anything you can imagine. You can experience peace, not just for today, not just for tomorrow. You can experience peace —for a lifetime!
Peace for a Lifetime is available on Amazon.com.
Book Trailer: https://vimeo.com/155392891
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