The NIV 365 Day Devotional

Stuck in the Middle

Sometimes, to get from where we are to where we are going, we have to be willing to be in-between.

One of the hardest parts of walking the Christian path is the concept of letting go of what is old and familiar, but unhealthy, and being willing to stand with our hands empty while we wait for God to fill them.

This may apply to feelings. We may have been full of hurt and anger. In some ways, these feelings may have become comfortably familiar. When we finally face and relinquish our grief, we may feel empty for a time. We are in between pain and the joy of serenity and acceptance.

Being in-between can also apply to relationships. To prepare ourselves for the new, we need to first let go of the old. This can be frightening. Being in-between can apply to many areas of life and recovery. We can be in between jobs, careers, homes, or goals. We can be in between behaviors as we let go of familiar patterns and are not certain what to replace them with. This can apply to behaviors that have protected and served us well all of our life, such as caretaking and controlling.

Being in-between can stir up many feelings: grief over what we have lost, or anxiety, fear, and apprehension over what’s ahead. These are normal feelings for the place we’re in. Accept them. Feel them. Release them.

Being in-between isn’t fun, but it’s necessary. It will not last forever. It may feel like we’re standing still, but we’re not. We’re standing at the in-between place. It’s how we get from here to there. It is not the destination.

Even when we’re in-between, we are moving forward.

PRAYER:

God, help me to believe that this in-between place I’m in is not without purpose, that it is moving me toward something good.

Taken from the NIV Recovery Devotional Bible.