Words of Worth

Living “in between”

May 17, 2013

the land betweenOver the last few weeks, I exclaimed to anyone listening and even a few times when no one at all was around to hear, “This is the prettiest Spring I can ever remember!”  The colors have been brilliant, the temperatures have been seasonable and everyone seems to have a “spring” in their step.  But the blooms on the dogwood tree I’ve been watching in my neighborhood are now more green than white and the other trees are quickly following suit.  Spring is almost over and it’s not really summer time yet.   We are in between seasons.

My son is home from college but his summer job hasn’t started yet.  The local pools are filled with water but the gates haven’t opened for business.  I moved my heavy comforter off my bed but I reached for it again earlier this week.

We are living in a time of “in between”.

But isn’t that often the case?  We often find ourselves in between seasons of life.   Between jobs, between stages, between schools, between this thing and whatever is coming next.

In between is not always an easy place to be.

This month’s book recommendation is The Land Between – Finding God in Difficult Transitions by Jeff Manion.   Here’s a little description:

In The Land Between, author Jeff Manion uses the biblical story of the Israelites’ journey through Sinai desert as a metaphor for being in undesired, transitional space. After enduring generations of slavery in Egypt, the descendants of Jacob travel through the desert (the land between) toward their new home in Canaan. They crave the food of their former home in Egypt and despise their present environment. They are unable to go back and incapable of moving forward.

The Land Between explores the way in which the Israelites’ reactions can provide insight and guidance on how to respond to God during our own seasons of difficult transition. It also provides fresh biblical insight for people traveling through undesired transitions—foreclosure, unemployment, parents in declining health, post-graduate uncertainty, business failure—who are looking for hope, guidance, and encouragement.

While it is possible to move through transitions and learn little, they provide our greatest opportunity for spiritual growth. God desires to meet us in our chaos and emotional upheaval, and He intends for us to encounter His goodness and provision during these upsetting seasons.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_16?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=the+land+between&sprefix=the+Land+between%2Caps%2C239

Since August of last year, our family has been in transition.  For a long time, it was more of a mental transition but now it has become a physical one.  In four weeks, we will be leaving Pennsylvania and moving to the state of Tennessee.  Throughout the months of preparing to move across the country (again!) I have been very aware of God’s hand guiding our every step.  Much like the Israelites, we have seen him leading us night and day.  Even though knowing it is His plan for us to relocate, the process has not been easy or without some pain involved.  We’ve been very happy living in the Northeast and one less Tidwell will be going with us.  Our son is staying in the area to go to graduate school.  So we will be leaving part of our heart right here.   Moving is never simple and neither is living in between.

If you look around and find yourself living “in between”, the principles in this month’s book will help you navigate this often bumpy terrain. (CT)

And He will be the stability of your times, a wealth of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge.  The fear of the Lord is his treasure.”

Isaiah 33:6