What happens when you're between the "not yet" and the "no longer"? When you're stuck with where you've been and where you're going? For years, I struggled with this tension, the tension of recognizing that I'm no longer where I was, but I'm still not where I want to be. Can you relate?
For five years, I was stuck in a career of teaching high school English. Even before my student teaching began, I wanted out. I knew this wasn't my calling. My advisor and parents told me to give it a chance. My contract gave me no choice but to do just that. But instead of enjoying the season, I kept waiting for 'real life,' or my 'real dreams,' to start. Even now, as I wrestle with getting my first traditional book contract, I struggle to be content where I am.
I'm confident that God will fulfill this calling. I know and am certain that I will be an author. But instead of enjoying the journey, I often find myself stuck in the complacency of the in-between. Waiting for the next big thing. Wandering, waiting, and wondering if and when I'll ever arrive in this new place. Have you ever been here?
I think God's people, the Israelites, could relate. In Deuteronomy 2:7 (NIV), we view a snapshot of Israel's journey from slavery to redemption to receiving God's Promised Land:
"The Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything." As Scripture says, in between slavery and God's Promised Land came the wilderness. The wilderness wasn't a place of punishment, but preparation. A space where God formed, refined, and readied His people.
Many times in my life, I've found myself in these vulnerable seasons. In these dry and wilderness-like middle grounds. Places where the heat is too hot, the circumstances are too overwhelming, and I grow incredibly famished, discouraged, and exhausted:
-When I waited for God to bring a godly man into my life after 22 years of singleness.
-When I graduated from college and got really sick, unsure if I'd be able to hold a regular job.
-When I had to teach for five years and felt like I would never get to write full-time.
-When I thought I was going to receive a publishing contract and only received 16 rejections over a year.
From career transitions to relationships, you can see that wilderness seasons happen to all of us. We're stuck between the past and the place promised to us. And, honestly, this can bring up a lot of emotions. Confusion, doubt, and insecurity, to name a few. We wrestle with our expectations in comparison to what we found. But God is not slow in keeping His promises, and He keeps no one waiting unless it's good for them to wait (2 Peter 3:9).
If you're stuck in the wilderness today, here's some good news: The middle is often where God works most deeply. From the Israelites in the desert, to David before the throne, or even Jesus in the wilderness, the middle prepares us for what's ahead. Though we often can't see or understand it at the time, it has a purpose.
For some, the middle is where we’re stripped of false identities and shaped for the future. For others, the middle is where we learn to be ourselves and ask hard questions. We become more grateful, more aware, and more content. But for everyone, the middle isn't “wasted time”—it’s holy ground, if we let it be. That if is the big question. Will you allow this place to become holy ground?
Slowly, we shift from wishing this season away to asking, “God, what are You doing here?” We begin to journal and pray about the small ways that God forms us in the middle instead of begging Him to remove us from our circumstances. We practice stillness and gratitude where we are, inviting His presence into this moment of pause.
Maybe today you're not where you want to be. Those dreams, longings, and ambitions within you beat heavily. But friend, you're also not where you used to be. Where you want to go is still coming, but you're not stuck; you're becoming exactly who God created you to be in this season of waiting. He is with you, even in this wilderness.
How can we make this practical?
No matter if you're just beginning your journey or five years into the deep desert, ask God how you can apply the message of the “middle ground” to your everyday life. Learn to reframe the middle ground not as a place of failure, delay, or punishment, but as refinement and formation. Try asking: “What is God developing in me right now that I couldn’t learn in a rush?” For example, maybe He's forming patience, deepening trust, or teaching you how to just be.
Next, create rhythms of gratitude right where you are. Whether we are lacking or have plenty, gratitude helps ground us in the present. It enables us to be thankful for what we have instead of always longing for more. It also creates a sense of contentment deep within us. To make this practical, try writing down three things you're grateful for at the end of every day. This could be small things that God is doing in this season, or bigger, more monumental answers to prayer. From the breath in your lungs to a kind word at an unexpected time, it's good to reflect on these moments.
Finally, learn to stay rooted in Scripture that speaks to the ‘in-between’ seasons. How do we do this? Try choosing some of your favorite Bible verses every Sunday night. Write them on notecards and put them anywhere you might see them (on your mirror, steering wheel, front door, etc.). When your mind starts to wander or grow complacent, meditate on these verses.
May God help all of us not to rush the season we're in. May He teach us to trust Him in the waiting, wandering, and middle ground. May we believe that He is still working right where we are, knowing that He works all things together for our good and His glory. This season, this wilderness, this dry and weary land, isn't wasted.
Today, Lord, help me to take one healthy, bold step of obedience, right where I am. Help me to know and trust that you have me in this place for a reason, and your plans will succeed. Give me the confidence to start the project you've placed on my heart, even if I feel unqualified. Encourage me to reach out to the friend who has been on my heart. Show me how to sign up for the class, attend the church, or begin the counseling session. Reveal to me how you are still working in my life, especially and even in the middle. Help me to reframe this place as beautiful, for you are with me in it. In Jesus' Name, we pray. Amen.
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28 (NIV)
Agape, Amber
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