I live in the in between.
On the grand scale it’s in between countries, families, time zones and languages.
On the more every day scale it’s in between rental homes, jobs, boisterous boys and loads of dishes.
Being an in between person can make it hard to feel content with where you are.
It seems there is always something to miss. Something to feel left out of. Something that someone else has. Stability, home, close family, maid service, mini van, dream job, bigger bank account, curlier hair, longer eyelashes, the waist size of a 16-year-old.
You name it, we all live in between something en route to something we think we want more.
Please read the rest of the story over at (in) courage today? It has a happy ending. And a special giveaway.
The book sounds wonderful. Thank you for sharing about contentment. :)
Erin, isn’t Lisa-Jo always able to reach right in where we need to be touched?!
Oh, Erin – it really really is. I highly recommend it – even if you don’t win it – it’s such a beautiful encouraging read!
Being a Grandma myself and wondering what God has in store for me in the future, I plan to read “Grandma’s Letters from Africa” even if I don’t win a copy! Africa is a place I have often wondered if God is calling me to work for Him (tho my daughter can’t believe would be in my future). Thank you for your reflections on ‘in-between’ – it’s kind of where I have been meditating lately.
Pauline, if God does send you to Africa, you will be in for a rich experience–more than you can begin to imagine right now. Keep in touch and let me know what your future holds!
Linda
I just read your post and can relate! I had a brain aneurysm in 1991 which left me with the inability to do lots of things. A lot of those things I re-learned thanks to friends and therapists. Those things were either of the physical nature or inter-relational or personal. I had to learn that it is okay to ask someone for help, to give myself permission to admit I needed help. Pre-aneurysm, I thought I knew it all and could do all. Ha! None of us are as self sufficient as we think we are; we need each other.
Anyway, I can relate to what you said because sometimes-a lot of times-I just want to get away from ‘here’ and be ‘there’…wherever ‘here’ and ‘there’ are! Because I can’t do a lot, I tend to dwell on the ‘I can’t’ s rather than the ‘But I can’ do this. Yes, I’ve prayed for contentment where I am but not until I actually do something for others, am I content with where I am.
Jeannette — your sweet spirit inspires me: Your contentment comes from doing for others. Thank you for that great perspective!
Thanks so much for your devo…. I sure can relate. I have been a widow for 12 years, raising three girls that are almost launched…….They have hearts for the Lord, so I am blessed… But now my cry is “what next LORD, how can I serve you.” So I am waiting for that gentle nudge…… Be blessed today kathy
Kathy, I’m moved by your willingness — “What next Lord? How can I serve you?” I’m going to post a blog in a day or so about my stubborn unwillingness and how God turned it into willingness. Now you kow why my heart sings when I read of your willingness. :) I hope you’ll let me know what the Lord answers with that gentle nudge you’re waiting for.
Beautiful devotion =) I moved around almost every year when I was a kid, and that left me feeling like I never really fit anywhere. I now have the urgent feeling to move when I live somewhere longer than a year.
But alas, Jesus has quieted that anxious feeling and helped me to be content in this season of my life as a SAHM… That book sounds wonderful! Thanks for sharing today =)
Lily, I smiled when I read that the Lord has quieted your anxious feelings and given you contentment during this season of your life. As I’ve gotten older, I see more clearly that indeed, we live in “seasons.” There’s a time for everything, like the wise writer of Ecclesiastes wrote. As for being a SAHM, I found that I’ve never regretted that choice! Looking back, I wouldn’t change one thing about that. I knew I’d have other seasons that would offer me other opportunities. Hang in there!
This is a book I definitely hope to read. I am a grandmother and a mom of three adults. Widowed young, having to sell our home because I could no longer pay for it, and renting and moving so many times over the years….all I wanted was ” a dwelling place of my own”. I have learned over the years to be content, no matter where I am or what I am going through, and to trust God in and through it all…..the lean times and not as lean times. I would love to go to Scotland. God has placed a love and burden to pray for the precious people of Scotland, and who knows….someday soon may find me climbing the mountains of the Highlands there!
Susan, I so admire you for handling all those challenges as a young widow and mom, and for the way God helped you through. As for Scotland… I’ve been there several times, to the Highlands, where my ancestors lived. I do hope you’ll get to go!
What encouraging, inspiring stories from these ladies’ comments! I hope you’ll all write your stories. My paraphrase from Deuteronomy 4 — “Always remember what you’ve seen God do for you, and be sure to tell your children and grandchildren!”
Ahh Lisa, how timely is our God. Just this morning I changed my words on my mirror (it’s amazing what a dry erase marker can do to daily remind this woman of my current ah-ha’s) to BE CONTENT. This transitioning back to life on another continent has left me in a limbo that I’ve never known and contentment feels continents away. How do I live content with where I am for the rest of the year, not rushing through it to get to the next chapter and missing out on rich memories that God still has in store for me on this side of the world… it’s been a lesson I’m trying so hard to surrender to… thank you for the reminder that struggle of being at peace no matter where my feet on this earth are planted relies upon the fact that my faith is planted in the hereafter… God bless you and thank you for being someone that I feel like really gets the struggle of living b/w two lives, cultures, languages, and worlds!
Laura, I enjoyed looking over your blog. Bless you for your ministries and your sweet family. One of your comments above caught my attention: “How do I live content … for the rest of the year, not rushing through it to get to the next chapter and missing out on rich memories that God still has for me on this side of the world?” If I had it to do over again, I’d have spent more time “smelling the roses” — I’d have slowed down and treasured the people, culture, sights, etc., of Africa before I left for the last time. I would have taken way more pictures. But I was so busy packing, so eager for the next chapter, that I missed out. Bless you for recognizing the value of what God still has for you while you’re there. I’ll check again on your blog often.
I loved this for so many reasons, specifically because God has been showing me ALOT lately about living in the moment, which is a constant in-between of the past and future.
It’s funny, I would love to travel abroad and go here and there, but ultimately, I would love to be in a room full of everyone I love at one time. That is my ultimate destination.
Oh, Tiffany, your comments made me smile. My ideal situation, like yours, would be to have all my loved ones in the same place together. That’s why I thought going to Africa would tear my heart to shreds…. But God has ways of working out such things, and like I mentioned to someone above, God has seasons for us–chapters, you might say. For a season He sent me to Africa, but now I’m in a season of living close to my son and his wife and their three lovely daughters–my granddaughters. He works all things together for good….
I would love to return to Israel. These are my people. The faith of my lineage. They need to know Jesus has come.
Oh, Dara, I hope you get to return! Keep working to make it happen!
The in between seems to be my lot these days…I am so blessed by this post and Linda’s shining example…If we are the in between people then I think God is our big bookends…yeah, big solid bookends…
Hey, Jessica! I love that picture you’ve created — we are the in-betweeners, God is our big solid bookends! Do you feel a blog post idea coming on? Or even a book? :)
You’re right, Jessica, you are definitely in an in between season of your life. I’m eager to keep watching as you faithfully keep taking the next step, and then the next, into the new chapter God is opening for you.
Yes, I do feel a blog post coming on! Thanks for the encouragement!
Thank you for sharing this,it was thoughtful.
I wish I could visit Africa and meet all that wonderful,Godly women who went to serve there in their “old” age.Their stories are showing,that God looks on hearts of His children who are willing to go wherever He is calling them,and not on age of any of us.For He will enableus and provide with everything what we need to do His will.
Snowy, thanks for your comment and for pointing out that God wants to use “old” people, and that He can and does! The willingness you mentioned is what I struggled with. In fact I’ll be blogging about that starting tomorrow. I’m so glad God patiently waited for me to become willing to go to Africa — otherwise I would have missed not only adventures, but at least a thousand blessings!
I have had the feeling lately that I would like to sell out and move to the mountains of Colorado and live a self sustaining lifestyle. Then the Lord tells me that He has put me where I am for a reason and that I need to learn to be content with that. I am thankful that I can hear the Lord’s voice and I would be gone by now! Thanks for the post!
Hi, Monica. The mountains of Colorado are gorgeous and I can understand why you might want to flee there! I grew up between the Olympics and the Cascades in Washington so mountains and forests hold a special place in my heart. Bless you for being content in your non-Colorado! I enjoyed looking over your blog, by the way. :)
Dear Lisa-Jo, I left a comment at (In)Courage, but thought it might be lost in the multitude. I’ve read your blog ever since you posted, “Your People Will Be My People” but have always put off commenting. I’m such a procrastinator, and would rather hide behind the scenes, feeling I don’t have much to say!
But, I would love to just take this chance to say thank you for your sweet and inspiring posts. There is so much I can relate to, of this in-between life. I live in Australia, and my dear boyfriend is in Northern USA. The past year has been growing in learning this man, and realising I can’t live without him, and coming to accept that it is pretty much likely I’ll be moving to the other side of the world to spend the rest of my life with him. The “with him” makes me giddy happy. The moving, and giving up all that is familiar, family, friends, church, and fighting homesickness and other difficulties, aren’t quite as exciting.
You don’t know how much of a mentor you’ve been, and will continue to be! If and when the big move happens, I’m going to be writing to you for tips to navigate the toothpaste aisle in walmart (yikes… is it just me, or is all shopping in the US scary? Everything is so crowded!)
If you had asked me a year, two years, ago where I wanted to go, I would have said without hesitation, Africa. I’ve always been a traveller, and don’t like to be grounded for too long. New Zealand & Europe rate high as well, and I wish I could travel the world, but there is something about Africa. I have dear friends who talk fondly of their home country, and large joyous congregations, and I’ve always had a longing to visit. A very dear beloved friend of mine has just moved back from Kenya, and daily asks when I’m coming to visit. How I would long to… yet my heart pulls me to America. I hope perhaps one day, we can both visit there together.
Sorry for the long comment. I’ve written a whole blog myself! Perhaps I really should comment more often? :) Thanks again for your blog, your encouragement and inspiration. May the Lord Jesus bless you and bring you nearer to Himself… the only place we can really find rest and feel at home!
Lisa-Jo, y-e-s to this post. The cities I am currently in between are not quite so glamorous as continental jet-setting, but the tension of the “limbo” is oh so strong … thanks for a great word of encouragement that contentment can’t be found in any zip code…
To be at home in Christ and Christ alone. It is a hard challenge. But we all walk it – me in my homesickness, the folks in Nashville who have lost their physical homes, and the orphans in South Africa who have lost parents.
We all look to Christ for our homecoming. We walk together toward him – and we take joy in knowing he waits for us.
Thank you for this lovely post….how to be content with where you are! thank you to dayspring, which led me to (in) courage readings….I have so enjoyed them and continue to find encouragement and love….thank you Lord for you, never changing…. loving us…caring for us……nana C
Thank you for reading with us, encouraging us, and being part of the community who share their tales in this space. Wonderful thing, friendship, even from afar!
Another amazing post! My special place I most want to travel to is Africa. I’ve always been convinced that is where Paradise would be found.
One more thing on this post:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykS2ZKSzXlk
Appropriate song I think?
Absolutely – I love her!
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