The In-between
I don’t know about you, but often I feel lost in the in-between. Sometimes it’s called the middle, the wilderness, but it’s all the same space. The space between one season and another. The space between what I want and where I am. The space between what God promised and the reality I’m living in….
That space.
That’s the space where time seems to go on forever. The end doesn’t seem anywhere in sight. It’s often a lonely space and a space we so desperately try to avoid or get out of.
I start to question why this “in-between” space feels so hard. Is it more challenging than the last season? Is it truly unbearable? Or is it that in the middle—the in-between —I don’t have anything to attach to? Is it that I feel exposed to the elements of life? Wondering not knowing what’s next…but wanting to move through this unknown so I feel safe and secure.
I wonder if the invitation in the middle- in the wilderness- is not as much to rush through it (although I feel that urge) but to make peace with it. I’m not saying to stop and set up camp in the wilderness- but to accept that uncertainty can lead you to discovery. Uncertainty can strip you of all the places we falsely place our security and lead you to God.
It’s in the wilderness- the space between – that I’m more aware of my need for God. I wish it wasn’t this way, but honestly life and culture have a way of trying to fit into the God sized shape inside of us. No…I’m not saying the jobs, roles, relationships, or things are bad. What I’m saying is that they all can change and leave.
The wilderness reveals that. The wilderness exposes those places that God wants to be the one that satisfies you.
It’s interesting—I soooo do not like the wilderness, the in-between, the transitions of life. They are exposing and unknown. Yet what I’ve found is the wilderness, the middle- that in-between— it can be hard AND bring joy. That space in the middle— it can be messy and beautiful. Life is mostly the in-betweens, not always the wilderness, but very rarely do we stay in one season for very long. I wonder if that’s why God made the seasons…to show us how to move through change. And that each season holds beauty of its own.
Yes, sometimes it is warm, sunny and fun (obviously I’m a summer girl). And sometimes you hunker down, brave the snow, and stay in. But there is beauty in each season. The summer sunset, the fall colors, the beauty of a fresh snowfall. Each season holds beauty, even if it’s not preferred.
It’s interesting I recently went to Colorado to visit my sister, she lives near Denver, and we are headed to Breckenridge in the mountains. Our destination was Breckenridge, we love Breckenridge’s cute town, beautiful mountains, and obviously skiing.
The interesting thing is, is that in-between Breckenridge and Denver, in the middle, is something called Loveland Pass. Loveland pass is not a destination. There’s nothing there other than a sign in a few parking spaces. You can actually take a tunnel, and avoid this middle ground altogether, or you can take the pass.
This place is the definition of wilderness, there’s nothing there just sharp turns, steep cliffs, and high winds. The thought of driving up the pass honestly made me a little nervous, there are no guard rails, and you’re completely exposed. I may or may not have panicked as my sister drove to the top of the mountain at 11,990 feet elevation. I was trying to take pictures and enjoy the view, but I had this unsettling fear of uncertainty, feeling exposed as I looked down on a thousand-foot drop, and isn’t that the same way we feel as we walk through the uncertainties of life? I desperately crave stability and something to grab a hold of -this is why the in-between feels uncomfortable to me.
Fear and uncertainty aside, we took the pass, if we would have skipped the middle ground and taken the tunnel, we would’ve missed out on the view.
The view from Loveland Pass, in the middle, in the wilderness, in between the place we were headed is one of the most breathtaking places I’ve seen. The mountains surround you. The beauty of the peaks and the depth of the valleys truly make you feel so small and see the vastness of God. Sure, we could’ve gone through the tunnel, fast-tracked our route, and we would’ve ended up where we wanted to be 20-30 minutes quicker, but we would’ve missed out on the best views of the mountains. We would have missed out on the beauty in the middle.
Loveland Pass is truly a great example of life. There’s beauty in the in-between, and if we’re so focused on getting to our destination we’re going to miss out on a world of wonder that God wants to show us.
I don’t know what you’re in between right now or what wilderness you’re walking through. It might be cold, windy, and uncomfortable, but some of the most breathtaking things have happened in transition.
The in-between– that’s the place where I found my identity, the place where I encountered a loving God, the place where I redeveloped and discovered who I was, that was in an “in-between”. If I would have rushed the process or tried to avoid it all together, I would have missed out on the truth and freedom God was offering me.
An “in-between” is not a place to stay, but a place to pass through, learn from, and observe the beauty around you. Just like at the top of Loveland pass, there’s a sign and a few parking spots, but nothing else. It’s not a place to set up camp, but a place to travel through.
This is a sign to you to keep moving forward, observe the beauty, see what lessons are for you to grab a hold of, yet keep taking steps forward. There is a beauty in the journey and if I’ve learned anything from Loveland Pass, it is this: sometimes the in-betweens are what prepare you for the destination you are headed toward.