Drinking Kool-Aid in the In-between Place. (dedicated to a friend)

Have you ever just felt just stuck in the in between? The in between isn't a real place its more of a state of mind but I think most people know what I'm talking about because they've been there. It the part of our lives that we feel stuck in transition. You know like right after you graduate high school when you're figuring out how to be a college student, that's the in between. The entire age of 20 is classified as the in between because its weird and spacey and not an adult but not a kid. Like when you aren't quite that anymore but you haven't reached the this yet. I'm a frequent visitor to the in between. I've turned it into a home. I feel like I've been in transition for like 10 years now (not literally). Some new piece is always sliding into the puzzle box and changing the whole picture that I call my life. Sometimes it feels like there's a piece missing though. Like I can't find that one thing or those few things like I've got this absence in my life. An abyss if you would. The thing about the in between is that it can be a black hole if you let it. It can just suck you down this deep dark hole. It's the lack of stability coupled with the lack of knowing. In the in between you never know what's next. Life just comes at you and that my friends is scary. Really, really scary. Sometimes when you're in the in between the following happens.

Your day starts out pretty normal typical things you get ready, shower, brush your teeth, comb your hair or in my case ruffle it up some more. Then it hits you like a baseball bat to the face. You have no idea what going on in your life. You're craving more but you don't know where to find the more you want. Then the bat bearer gives you a swift one to the ribs as you start to think of all the unfulfilled desires in your life. All the things you want, the heart's desires, and the love you're seeking. The pain you're trying to let go and that thing you miss. Next the kneecaps and this one is how you get stuck. You think of all the inadequacies you think you have. All those flaws that most of the time you're the only that sees them. You know that little voice that tells you you aren't enough... enough of this or that, you aren't tall enough or cool enough or smart enough. LIES it isn't true the baseball bat is full of lies. Remember most of the time we're our own worst critics and the batter knows our weak spots. When we let ourselves go and we get trapped in the in between thinking hurts and you want to crawl under a blanket and spend the next two weeks there in your PJ's. I know you know what I mean.

So what do you do? You drink kool-aid. You're favorite flavor of kool-aid (mine is red... lol no not cherry or fruit punch... RED) but you drink it and you reject the scariness and negativity of the in between. Maybe you need a mope day or a free day but you don't get stuck in the hole you drink your kool-aid and keep on trucking. You reject the lies that the batter is hitting you with. Reject the lies and claim the truth. Make the truth yours, the truth is every where and we can always find it and we need to remember that the in between doesn't last forever. Its a temporary state. You just have to survive it.

The Truth

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm, plans to give you a hope and a future. -Jeremiah 29:11

"...being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ." -Philippians 1:6

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." -2 Timothy 1:7

"And he said, "O man greatly beloved, fear not! Peace be to you; be strong, yes, be strong!" So when he spoke to me I was strengthened, and said, "Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me."" -Daniel 10:19


Claim the truth where ever you find it. (I stole that line from Rob Bell) Duh there is truth in the Bible that's a given the Bible is truth its The Way but there is truth other places too. Just because it isn't Bible or it wasn't written by a Christian doesn't make it untrue. You've gotta grab the truth and know make it your own. My version of the truth is: life is crazy you don't really know what you're gonna get its like picking names out of a hat. But God is good real good and he has something going on. For example sometimes we(I mean me) feel bad about the way we look we(I still mean me) think that we should look like what society tells us we should. Then some creeper at the gas station tell you you're pretty. Even if he's creepy that's kinda nice. That is truth. You're awesome the way you are so whether you hear it from the gas station guy or some creepy lady in who tells you in Spanish(that was for the fellas) You're awesome! God made you awesome.

The sucking part of the in between happens because the batter knows our weak spots and how to hit them. But we've gotta look at the positive. We've can't think about what we don't have but remember what we do have. We need to remember that we have someone who loves us and we have friends who are there for us and they love us too. Even when we think we aren't making an impact we are because sometimes we never know how we touch the lives of those around us. We may never know but that isn't a reason to stop living like we do. We don't let ourselves get stuck. Everyone has bad days but the bad days don't last forever. The in between is temporary. But we have to go there to get to the next place. We have to wade through the blackness but we aren't alone and that makes the black hole conquerable.

The Lord has a plan a good plan he's the master planner, be confident in his plan and the work he is doing in you, do not be fearful but live with power and love, love God, love his people, love yourself, love his people. You too are His beloved so be at peace.