Strength for the Middle

 

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

Waiting is the hardest, especially when you don’t know how long the wait will be. 

Months? Years? Decades? 

When the starting momentum has long since faded, and the end result seems nowhere nearby, it’s the middle that can undo a person. This waiting can be described as a desert period for many. It’s dry and, at times, hopeless.  

In the middle, changes, though subtle, are happening.  You are perhaps growing, becoming better at trusting in whatever God’s plan is. It’s this period that matters most. 

What will you do in the middle? 

Many don’t have the fortitude to see it through. Too many calendar pages have turned. Many don’t have the patience required of them, because giving up on hope seems the easier way out. 

Drawing an analogy from a suspension bridge, I had to google just how the middle is supported…. My guess is that it would be the weakest point on any bridge, and therefore, need the most attention. If it weren’t for the two towers on each end of the bridge, the middle would surely collapse. The many steel cables that attach the middle to the towers are the reason the middle stays strong.

We may not have visible steel cables, attaching us to towers, but we are all surely tethered to something. Is God your supply of hope and strength for the middle of your journey? Do you draw daily from His wisdom? How about a verse that you cling to as reminder of God’s promises?

Being tethered to other things can seem to get us by for a while…. We humans can drink, shop, eat, complain, and  escape with the best of them. When there is nothing to do but wait, it’s easy for us to distract ourselves in some fashion. But those pursuits are costly as well, and only pacify for the short term. 

We see that “waiting” is a common theme in the Bible. Many of the stories we read involve years (like 20, 30, 40!) before a result is brought forth. Many of the people in the Bible were impatient, and as a result, tried to alter or fix the situation, without God’s help. Eek! Talk about cutting the tethers!

No matter how long your middle has lasted, may you be encouraged today that this is the part that really matters, and just like a bridge, it’s the part that needs the most attention. This is where God will meet you and sustain you when you would rather not take the next step. When nothing has changed and each day seems the same as the one before, God can weave together your story in His perfect timing, leaving no doubt that His hands have been all over it the whole time.

When you are tethered to the Lord, friend, you are held.

You are secure.

The middle might be long.

The middle might be scary.

But, the middle is where your faith can come alive, mature, and strengthen.  What you do in your middle- your waiting—- can be the difference in a collapse of your own undoing or a deliverance into the plan God has for you. 

Tether yourself to the Almighty One… only He can provide strength for the middle.

More verses for the middle:

“You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.” Isaiah 26:3

“Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.” Psalm 55:22

“As for us, we have this large crowd of witnesses round us. So then, let us rid ourselves of everything that gets in the way, and of the sin which holds on to us so tightly, and let us run with determination the race that lies before us. Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end. He did not give up because of the cross! On the contrary, because of the joy that was waiting for him, he thought nothing of the disgrace of dying on the cross, and he is now seated at the right-hand side of God's throne.”  Hebrews‬ ‭12:1-2‬ ‭

Above All Else

Above all else, love each other deeply. 1 Peter 4:8

You know what is one of my greatest challenges some days?

 Loving the people in my own home. 

After a day of work and giving of my self to the demands of my job, even loving the people of the world, it is a real struggle sometimes to pull the car into the garage and set my mind to loving the people in my own family. 

Not because my brood is unlovable, but because my resources are low. The vat of patience, forgiveness, and energy that was filled to the brim in the morning, is nearly empty.  Some days, decompression doesn’t come until bedtime. Too late. Tempers flared, harsh words spoken, and peace gone. In the throes of parenthood, marriage, and career, there will be days like this. 

It’s interesting to note that the beautifully framed verses that hang from the walls in our home can be really difficult to apply. “Above all else, love one another deeply.” Those words are visible on our living room wall. What a wonderfully stark reminder of our need, our call, to hold love as a number 1 priority. 

The truth is, just because we are exhausted, sad, sick, or otherwise doesn’t disqualify us to love our family. 

If anything, home is where we turn up the dial. If our children are to inherit a real, tangible faith, they are to see it in action. If I am to honor my husband, it is done without an edge in my words. Mom’s long day should not negate her capacity to love. Dad’s work deadline shouldn’t make him callous with words. Toys on the floor or a drink left on the end table should not always unleash a lecture about responsibility. There’s another way. Our choice of words and attitudes sway the environment of the evening. Our loving-even-when-we-don’t-feel-like-it “spurs one another on” (Hebrews 10:24). 

I am held accountable today that if all of the loveliest verses hung from our walls don’t move us, remind us, encourage us, or change us in some way, they might as well not be there.  Loving at home is not optional or mood-based.

May you be reminded today of your role of loving those in your home. It can be nearly impossible some days, but your spouse and children deserve it.  

It takes priority. 

It takes purpose. 

It takes heeding the words of scripture over and over again.

“Instead, be kind and tender-hearted to one another, and forgive one another, as God has forgiven you through Christ.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4:32‬ ‭

“Love is patient and kind; it is not jealous or conceited or proud; love is not ill-mannered or selfish or irritable; love does not keep a record of wrongs; love is not happy with evil, but is happy with the truth. Love never gives up; and its faith, hope, and patience never fail.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13:4-7‬ ‭

Listening Ears

On my drive from work just recently I heard the brief accounts of Mary & Joseph on the radio. The speaker finished by mentioning that both of them had not listened to what the world had to say about them, but quietly obeyed God, and consequently, delivered the infant Savior into the world.  Which in turn, delivered the world from eternal separation from God.  Bottom line: listen to God, not the world. 

It’s hard to be quiet these days. It’s even harder to listen.  To carve out any moments to seek God, read about him, or think on His word is challenging when we have so much vying for our time and attention. Moms, I know you are as harried as I am, but without my morning reading and prayer, I could also say I am grumpy, unstable, and lost.  My spiritual compass needs a daily resetting, and my soul aches for the sweet, wise reminders found in the Bible.

So, how is it, that even in purposeful setting-aside-of-peaceful-morning-time, I can still be so distracted? The temptations of social media and online browsing of a million items can steer me so quickly some days from the true source of Life.

That darn Pinterest can give such a creative boost to my event planning, but simply cannot feed my soul, even with all its shiny ideas that refine every detail of life.  Facebook tends to lure me in for unreasonable amounts of time, until I pull away with a twinge of comparison envy.  Lastly, online shopping can feel like a sport to me these days… adding to a cart in record time, and having the merchandise of the world at my fingertips. Ugh.  I am so easily entrapped by what the world offers.

Jesus speaks on this matter in a short story about a sower:

“People kept coming to Jesus from one town after another; and when a great crowd gathered, Jesus told this parable: “Once there was a man who went out to sow corn. As he scattered the seed in the field, some of it fell along the path, where it was stepped on, and the birds ate it up. Some of it fell on rocky ground, and when the plants sprouted, they dried up because the soil had no moisture. Some of the seed fell among thorn bushes, which grew up with the plants and choked them. And some seeds fell in good soil; the plants grew and produced corn, 100 grains each.” And Jesus concluded, “Listen, then, if you have ears!””

‭‭Luke‬ ‭8:4-8‬ 

““This is what the parable means: the seed is the word of God. The seeds that fell along the path stand for those who hear; but the Devil comes and takes the message away from their hearts in order to keep them from believing and being saved. The seeds that fell on rocky ground stand for those who hear the message and receive it gladly. But it does not sink deep into them; they believe only for a while but when the time of testing comes, they fall away. The seeds that fell among thorn bushes stand for those who hear; but the worries and riches and pleasures of this life crowd in and choke them, and their fruit never ripens. The seeds that fell in good soil stand for those who hear the message and retain it in a good and obedient heart, and they persist until they bear fruit.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭8:11-15‬ ‭

For some of you, this blog entry has been too lengthy. You have a to-do list and a deadline choking out the truth of these words.  Listen carefully: even Jesus mentions our Enemy, the Devil. His scheme is to keep you busy and very productive, away from God’s word. But just like our precious Mary & Joseph, we cannot be so easily swayed, for God’s plan and trajectory for your life and mine is radically different than the world’s.

May these two individuals not remain simply ceramic figurines in a mantle nativity scene. Instead, in this next week, pause and reflect on their humanness, on their listening ears and obedience to God. Let them remind you to pursue more time with God and less with the world. May this Christmas set into motion a renewal of a “good and obedient heart that persists until it bears fruit.”

Thank you, Lord, for Jesus— precious baby destined to save us from ourselves. Please renew all of us who hear your words and receive them with faith. Let us turn our eyes to you, instead of to the distractions of each day. May we bless others because of knowing you! Amen.