In the middle space

Have you ever felt a bit stuck in a rut, and impatient to find some forwards momentum? I suspect we all feel this way at times.

Right now kind of feels like an ‘in the middle’ space for us, where everything feels a bit stuck in a rut, whilst we’re still hoping and waiting and trying to conceive… but things are dragging on slowly, and nothing is guaranteed.

And I think these ‘in the middle’ spaces are particularly uncomfortable if you’re a real ‘doer’ like me. It can be really testing when everything is up in the air to just hold those questions and tensions and the not knowing in hand for a while, and not try to force a way forwards to a faster resolution.

When you’re in the middle of something, that desire for some fresh forward-thrust and direction can easily cause you to clutch at straws, make poor decisions, and choose change just for changes sake.

An example from my life

A few weeks ago I saw two jobs that I almost applied for, because on paper at least, that seemed like the right thing to do. Both of them were small promotions, yet neither of them especially excited me.

It was only upon later reflection, when I was already halfway through filling out the application forms, that I realised that true wisdom was in biding my time; in waiting until I know what is happening in one area of my life, before moving the pieces around in another one.

Making good decision

The truth is that ‘in the middle space’ it can be really easy to start listening to the wrong advice or to make knee-jerk decisions based on frustration, rather than waiting for God’s direction or timing.

But movement isn’t always better than standing still for a time; it’s only useful if it’s movement in the right direction.

And when all of the signs point to God saying, just trust me and wait for my plans to unfold … it’s best to do exactly that.

There’s this verse in Exodus 14:14 that says this:

“The LORD God himself will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

(Exodus 14:14)

When you’re battling against difficult circumstances, it can be tempting to keep pushing doors, and struggling on, and trying to fight your own way out …

But maybe sometimes its better just to wait, even if it feels like you’ve been standing still for an eternity.

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