“From there to here, from here to
there, funny things are everywhere!”
–
Dr. Seuss, One Fish, Two Fish Red
Fish, Blue Fish
In
between here and there life is filled with lots of experiences
but
not all of them are funny as
Dr. Seuss suggests. Yet
most of life is spent
traveling
between here and
there. It is my guess we spend more time living between here
and there than in arriving and being. Frustrations can mount in
between. It rarely crosses the mind to consider a place of transition
as significant, a place in which we are invited to regard the
possibilities, and not to dismiss such place as inhospitable. It is
hard to accept the value found in living life as a process and not an
achievement. Living is an investment in the life we’ve been handed;
and we are either actively immersed in embracing this space in our
lives between here and there or we are withering in the want of
something more. I have experienced both.
The
transition between our dream and it’s fulfillment can be a bit like
a tipsy walk across a log bridging two sides of a river. Waiting to
get from here to there can make a person feel unsettled, wringing out
doubts and questions about decisions made and halfway crossed off.
Neither forward nor backwards seems a good option. How can I
experience God in the in-between moments, months and years? Some of
the places in between here and there are more difficult to navigate
than others. How can the in-between be as meaningful or possibly more
so than arriving? It seems impossible.
I
am aware I am in-between but of what I do not know. I get glimpses
but in the process, what I think is the end result goes all wonky and
then the from here to there stretches out like an endless, bumpy dirt
road in a foreign country. One day this week I felt like crawling out
of my skin because of this uncomfortable in-between place in which I
found myself. In April it was as if I was dropped down a rabbit hole
like Alice, and I found myself pressed to contortions navigating from
there to here to there. I’m not sure where. But this last week in
August I let go of something I worked long and hard to attain and
while I don’t know what’s next, I am learning to recognize God in
this clumsy transition.
It
seems I am to let go of more than something I worked hard for; I am
invited to let go of the form in which I find significance. And so
like Alice in Wonderland, I must transform to move through an
unfamiliar space. This place I don’t traverse alone; I need
support. The Holy Spirit is my guide, and I find my support within
the Christian community. I need a discerning spirit when choosing
people to walk alongside me in this journey. Not just anyone is able
to provide healthy support without trying to fix the uncomfortable
fit as if it is a problem.
“I’m more certain than ever that prayer is at the heart of transformation. And also that God’s will has a lot more to do with inviting us to become more than we previously have been than about getting us to a specific destination.” Shauna
Niequist, Savor
I agree with Niequist; I am certain we
are in-between to become and not so much to arrive. At least while
living this earthly life. I
find Him here when I release my expectations and open up to the
possibilities in the midst of the all
the unplanned moments.
I am learning to be more
intentional about listening to what His
Spirit has to teach
me; I find Him in solitude and prayer. Surrendering
to Him and His transforming grace isn’t easy, but it is where I
find the One who surrounds me with His love and makes more of my life
between here and there than I ever could.
