Friday, October 19, 2018

Finding God Between Here and There, Part 2

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.

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