Meet Me in the Middle

A Lenten Curation Project

Linking Up

In the Middle, He is Building with Living Stones

Living Stones

You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple.
He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor.

And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple.
What’s more, you are his holy priests.
Through the mediation of Jesus Christ,
you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God.
1 Peter 2:4-5, NLT

In the Old Testament, God visited His people in many places: He gave Moses marching orders at the burning bush (Exodus 3), met Noah right where he was with a building plan for a big boat (Genesis 6), and whispered Truth to Ezekiel on Mount Zion (1 Kings 19:1-13).

Once the Tabernacle was built, Israelites had a place where they could go to seek God, make offerings, and find atonement for their sin. The presence of God abided there, in the Holy of Holies, where only the High Priest could go (Leviticus 16:2).

After the permanent structure was built, God’s dwelling on earth was in the Temple. I love Solomon’s prayer, from the Temple dedication. The humble words ring true for us today:

But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built! Yet give attention to your servant’s prayer and his plea for mercy, Lord my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day. May your eyes be open toward this temple night and day, this place of which you said, ‘My Name shall be there,’ so that you will hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place. Hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive.

1 Kings 8:27-20, NIV

The Tabernacle and the Temple symbolized the Holy God’s willingness to make a way to dwell with sinful man (Exodus 25:8). When Jesus walked the Earth, He called Himself the Temple, the dwelling place of God, and He lived among sinful men (John 2:21). Jesus was Emmanuel, God with us (Matthew 1:22-23). He came to reconcile us to God (Colossians 1:20).

With His death and resurrection, Jesus created a way for Gods people to commune intimately with Him, at any time, in any place (John 4:23-24). In fact, God’s people became His dwelling place, because His Spirit inhabits each one who belongs to Him (John 14:17). We are called living stones, the building blocks of God’s Temple (1 Peter 2:4-5).

Before & After Building the Church

My friend Esther is an amazing artist. She gave me these pictures she painted of the church we both attended in Phoenix, Arizona. The first one captures the building operation. This was a long process, fraught with hiccups and delays. The second photo, the After, is the completed building, a beautiful place where believers meet for worship and fellowship.

You and I are like this church. We are being built up, together, as living stones.

We are a monument to the Holy Spirit Who dwells within us. At the beginning, there is just rubble and no discernible order, but the Builder knows the plans. Sometimes, there are unexpected delays in our progress, though times of waiting are never unexpected to the Lord. Sometimes, portions that we thought were finished must be torn down and built again, but God is faithful.

The Lord will finish the work He began in us (Phil 1:6). We are being built into God’s spiritual temple. We are meant to offer spiritual sacrifices, to being glory to the Lord, Our God, Our Maker.

Esther

Esther BeLer Wodrich firmly believes that surrounding herself with beauty brings sanity amidst the chaos of raising four kids alongside her husband. Immersing herself in drawing and painting, she balances her creativity with her relentless pursuit of excellence. Esther spends a ridiculous amount of time holding her breath while working on intricate details but so far has yet to pass out.

Esther prefers to start an artwork with a clean desk, the blinds open, an audiobook playing and a hot cup of coffee. However, especially during her kid’s summer break, she will take whatever she can get.

In the Middle, He is Preparing a Place

He is preparing a place

I met my very dear friend, Linda, at a prayer meeting at our new church. I went because the Lord prompted me to go. Linda went because prayer makes her heart sing. We met for coffee afterward and found that we were both military spouses, writers, and students of God’s Word. I’m utterly thankful that all along the Lord was preparing us for this lovely friendship. Today, I hope you enjoy her as much as I do!

Preparing a Place…

It has been a loonng time, of living in the middle, especially if you consider the changes begun twenty-five years ago.

I don’t have photos of the concrete garage, the dark-paneled walls in the den, or the 25-year-old gold shag carpet. Thank goodness! That part of the remodel took place ages ago; I can barely remember it. However, I do have this “before” photo taken about thirteen months ago when we began demolition for our current basement-makeover. And now, I have an “after” photo.

I love beauty. When we began, I had a vision of what the area could be. I imagined light airy spaces, a well-lit bedroom, and a kitchen in the space occupied by a wet bar. During this renovation, we’ve hauled truckloads of junk away to the thrift store and to the dump. It has been a long, very messy thirteen months.

The space we’ve built downstairs, however, is not for us. It’s an apartment, a place for someone else to live.

In John 14, we learn that Christ has gone to prepare a place for us, and that He will call us to Himself. These words were spoken on the way to the cross. They were essential, meant to encourage and give hope while the disciples lived in the messy middle—between regeneration and glorification, during that season when Jesus was no longer a tangible presence. It was, and is, a challenging abode of suffering and sanctification while we wait.

I wonder how often those early, persecuted Christians said to themselves as they desperately clung to the promise, “I have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. He’s building a place for US – for ME, and it’s worth the wait.”

Although God is building a home in heaven, He also has a building project in and among His people on the earth, in us individually and corporately.

During our renovation, some of the work was backbreaking—like sledge hammering concrete and digging the trench for the plumbing, or hanging heavy bead board on the ceiling. Other parts have been tedious, like sinking nails and puttying nail holes, or ornamental—picking paint and fixtures or creatively designing an eating area.

And so it is with us. Some of the work God does in us is deep and dirty. At other times, He’s helping us to toss trash, to rip down wrong beliefs, and to choose between good and best. Occasionally, He applies putty to the empty holes in our lives and sands to make things smooth. At other times God is making us beautiful—simply for the joy of it.

Our God is preparing a house for us, but as the Church, He’s also building a dwelling place for Himself. We’re living stones, built on the foundation of the Chief Corner Stone, a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation (1 Peter 2). He’s a builder in heaven and on earth.

Sometimes it feels like the process will take forever, both waiting for heaven and waiting for change here, in me. But when I look back, I can barely remember some of things I struggled with years ago. Change has already taken place.

God has a vision of what we will be one day: we will look like Jesus. In the meantime, I try to keep an image of a perfect Christ in my heart and mind, believing like 2 Corinthians 3:18 says, that we are being transformed into that image. “But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image, from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.” That’s the work that’s taking place here.

Slow work. But the “after” picture? Oh, YES!

“Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is…everyone who has this hope fixed on Him, purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:2-3).

In the meantime, we wait, between the before and the after, secure in His promise, yet filled with our longing.

Linda Barrett is Honey to her husband, Mama to three grown children, and Momanim to an energetic, blue-eyed dog named Barnabas. She grew up in Alabama, graduated with a degree in English, married, then for twenty years zigzagged across the country, finally settling in Birmingham twenty-two years ago.

Although converted when young, performance-based Christianity drove Linda to despair. Then she awakened to God’s glory and unconditional love. Now you can often find her weeping in delight over God and his overwhelming grace to her and others. She shares God’s revealed grace and wonders through writing, teaching, mentoring, and other arts.

She loves well-crafted stories, meaningful conversations, camping with her husband, laughter with friends and family, and worship and prayer with like-minded people.

Linda has published several articles and co-authored a unique new-moms study called: Engaging Motherhood: Heart Preparation for a Holy Calling.

She blogs at: invitationtowonder.wordpress.com.

In the Middle, We Are Restored

restored

Sometimes, one thing leads to another

My injury was hidden. I hyper-extended the big toe on my left foot. Without knowing it, I began walking differently to avoid pain. The change in my gait resulted in more pain on the outside of my foot. After six months and four doctors, I got my diagnosis: stress fracture.

From the outside, I looked fine, but I wasn’t. I was in a lot of pain every day and I couldn’t live a full and normal life.

At three different offices, they x-rayed me from multiple angles. Plus the MRI. The last doctor, an orthopedic surgeon, said, “All the diagnostic studies show normal anatomy and there is nothing to suggest that you have had any injury,” he paused to let that sink in. I knew that. I had read the reports too. Then, I got all choked up when he said, “But I know. You’ve been in pain for a long time, haven’t you? Don’t worry. We can fix this.”

Have you been living with pain for a long time?

Maybe you’re emotionally spent. You have a troubled child, an aging parent, a joyless marriage, a soul-sucking job? You lost a dear pet. A friend betrayed you. You’re disappointed with yourself and your life. You battle anxiety, and every day you are waiting for the next bad thing to happen. Maybe you’re just terribly lonely.

Many of us carry heavy baggage around. From the outside, we have a good life, or there’s not much to complain about. And now we add guilt to the burdens we carry because—it could always be worse:

  • On FaceBook, someone’s raising money for a child who has cancer.
  • There’s someone at church who was in an accident and is on crutches, rehabbing a broken foot.
  • In the news, there’s word of real persecution—Christians are dying for their faith.

Our problems seem so trivial next to these.

Invisible pain is still pain.

Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28, NASB

Your heavy burden—the Bible calls it trouble, affliction, suffering, a trial, or a difficulty—let’s call all of it “pain.” You can tell yourself the pain isn’t really affecting you, that you’re doing ok, but understand: pain will change the way you walk.

The Hebrew word that means “to walk” is Halakh, which also means the way you live or conduct yourself. When you’re in emotional or spiritual pain, your walk will diminish. We all do this. To avoid adding shame to our pain, we minimize risk. We keep quiet about difficulties in marriage, failure in children, disconnection from friends or family. We hide sin, so we won’t add rejection to pain.

As we hide pain and brokenness, our Halakh becomes broken, too. We live scared, small, and alone.

Sometimes it feels like
it will hurt worse if we say it out loud.
And it probably does. At first.

During the physical exam, the doctor squeezed my foot so hard! I yelped a little. Tears sprang to my eyes. He found my pain point and that was the beginning of my recovery. Finding and sharing your pain point may seem impossible, but you can’t move past pain without acknowledging it.

We can live authentic and wholehearted lives, even when pain is a constant companion. We aren’t meant to put on a good face at church or tell friends we’re “fine,” when we’re a mess. When we come to God in prayer, He wants us to speak truth—confession of sin, confession of need, cries for help, wordless groans—because sharing with God gives us what we’re most desperate for, closeness with Him.

God sees our deepest needs, whether we share those burdens with Him or not.

I couldn’t ice, stretch, or heat my foot enough to heal it. Acknowledging my limitations was critical to my recovery. I needed more than what I could do alone. When we come to Him, God’s always willing to help us deal with our pain. He knows it’s really too much for us to carry.

The way we’re restored is a mystery.

Healing just happened. Somewhere, during the twelve weeks of wearing the boot, my stress fracture healed. I couldn’t begin to guess when it started, but somehow I was restored.

Here’s the greatest comfort: God works in the invisible places. He’s restoring when we don’t know He’s working at all. If you give Him a burden, you can trust He’s at work. If you don’t see progress or healing, He’s still at work. When you wonder if He has forgotten about you and your troubles, He’s working for you.

Don’t be deceived by what you see, hear, or feel. God is faithful. He is always working to redeem the unredeemable, heal the broken, make straight the crooked, and bring life out of death. In the middle—though we don’t know how He does it—we are restored.

Just Trust the Process

trust the process

Today, my dear friend Kathy joins us, all the way from New Zealand! What you have to know about Kathy, before you read this post, is that she LOVES McDonald’s, especially a good Big Mac. She loves Chik-Fil-A, candy, and most junk food. But Kathy also wants to be a really good steward of the health God has given her. You can read even more about her, below this post!

Trust the Process

Lately, I’ve been told by several friends that Apple Cider Vinegar is good for the body. I’ve done some research online and found the same advice. It seems that a great deal of evidence points to the benefits of this healing elixir of life. Learning about the health benefits encourages me to trust the process.

Yet, on the other hand, there are warnings which state the downsides of Apple Cider Vinegar: it’s very sour, it smells like bad foot odor (according to my husband), and it leaves a bad aftertaste in your mouth!

Still, I’m the sort of personality to give things a go, so I bought myself a bottle. The “before” photo is of me, trying to be brave—before I have my first sip—but honestly feeling so scared and wondering why on earth was I doing this. And seriously, that first taste was just as bad as everyone had told me it would be! It smelled bad, it tasted bad, and I struggled to get through my first glass!

Like with most things, as I persevered, it got easier! The taste seemed less tangy and sour and I *almost* began to enjoy my twice daily glass.

After two weeks I had lost weight, my digestive system was in better shape (I won’t say anymore on that!), I had more energy, and I just felt better all around! The “after” photo is of me—knowing all the benefits that come with this drink—and feeling so much better in myself for having drunk it.

So, this experience got me to thinking of my walk with God. When He asks me to step out of my comfort zone, I’m usually like the first photo: Really God? You think that’s a good idea? You really think I can do that? As I struggle to take that first step, I remind myself that God has never let me down before, and He really does know what is best for me! As I keep taking those steps, it gets easier and easier. Before I know it, I’m like that second photo, all smiles and having confidence in my abilities through Him.

Psalm 56: 3-4 reads “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust and I am not afraid.”

During the apple cider vinegar process, I had to trust that the benefits would outweigh the cost. Even though I couldn’t see the benefits immediately, I had to keep persevering, keep drinking, and trust what I couldn’t yet see!

As I face new challenges in my walk with God, again, I must trust the process. It’s not fun in the middle, when the benefits aren’t yet seen, but I trust God. I know the outcome will outweigh any sacrifices I make along the way. The promises I have from God will always encourage me to do the hard stuff in the middle, knowing that He is a good, good Father, always planning good for me.

So, as I continue drinking the apple cider vinegar and, as I continue to walk with God, some days in the middle are hard and I think about quitting. I wonder if I can keep going, but I trust the process and I trust in God, and so I carry on. It helps to know that, even though I may be afraid, I can always trust God.

I met my friend Kathy at a writer’s conference in 2014, and she quickly became one of my closest friends. Kathy lives in New Zealand, but I get to see her every two weeks via Skype. She’s a mom to two big kids, pastor’s wife, blogger, seminary student, women’s ministry leader, and creator of an amazing retreat for tweens called Daughters of the King. She is bursting with faith, joy, and hope. Her bubbly personality overflows with love for God and His people. I wish you could meet her—she’s delightful! And I’m grateful for her friendship and her contribution to our Lenten Curation this year. 

When the Middle is Long

Everyone needs an Amy Young in their lives—she is smart, funny, compassionate, humble, silly, and a wise story-teller. Amy so amazing, I had to put her bio at the bottom—it was too long! You can check it out when you finish reading…

When the Middle is Long

If you met me, you might think I am a people person. And I am.

I just happen to be a task person who also likes people. I love the rush of accomplishing tasks. So, I try to weave into my day a few tasks that are short and concrete just so I can get a hit. Doing a load of laundry. Going to a class at the gym. Writing a blog post. I like to be able to look back at the end of the day and have a sense of accomplishment.

When Britta approached me to write for this series with a before and after picture, I wanted to pick a meaningful example where you would marvel at my deep insights on some ordinary part of our lives. The pictures would have been so amazing you might have been jealous. Just saying.

But what came to mind wasn’t a tidy task; instead, I sensed God say, “Amy, where do you see me meeting you in the middle of long tasks? When the end is not necessarily in sight. You know, the ones where you are in danger of getting lost in the weeds? Or distracted by something that might have more of an immediate pay off.”

There’s Always More to Be Done…

When I wrote my book Looming Transitions I knew I would have to edit it. What I did not grasp what that editing—especially for a first time author who had, let’s just say, a lot to learn—was not a once and done process. When my editor sent me the edited manuscript, I was shocked to see how much work I still had to do.

Clearly I was more on the “before” side of the project than the “after.” I began to wonder, “Is this worth it? Obviously I have overestimated my ability or underestimated the task. I think I’d rather watch TV than have to face all the work between me and a completed manuscript.”

But I dove in and started making corrections. Then I sent it to a friend and much to my shock, more changes were found. As in, quite a few per chapter. What in the world?! When do people say nice things and not find one correction that needs to be made? (Keep in mind, they were complimenting my work . . . it is just that they were also still finding ways to improve it. Sigh!)

I made the changes my friend suggested and sent the final version back to my editor for one last look through. In truth, I didn’t realize I was expecting her to be amazed at the transformation. Imagine my shock, horror, and annoyance when she sent it back—and I am not kidding—with still at least one change per page. And some pages? Multiple edits suggested.

How can this be?!

When will this end?!

But as I addressed that round of edits, I could see that each round was truly improving the work. I was getting somewhere. Finally, it was time for the formatter to take the word documents and transform them into . . . a book.

Hallelujah!

Mostly.

It turns out that he and I had to go through the entire book TWO more times with over twenty edits per go. But in the end? The final product is one of which I am very proud.

When the End Seems Far Off

Now on the “after” side, I can say that this process was worth the investment. Knowing how life is, you might find yourself in the middle of something too. If so, here are four tips to help you with the middle is l-o-n-g and the end is far off:

  1. Gather a community to cheer you on. When I got that third round of edits and could not believe so much still needed to be done, I posted in Facebook asking people to cheer me on and tell me why this book was needed. One comment in particular sticks out. She said, “My daughter is on the mission field and she needs this book. You are editing for Carrie.” She helped me visualize what I had lost sight of: real people would be helped by this project.
  1. Remember past projects. I can see why God used the word “remember” so often with the Israelites. Forgetting is easy. Fussing is easy. Fretting is easy. But remembering past accomplishments takes discipline. Build the discipline of remembering into your tasks.
  1. Just take the step in front of you. What a difference when I figure out what to do next—for instance, edit Chapter 3—instead of being flooded by every task that needs to be done. Don’t think of all that needs to be done every day; instead at the beginning of the week, list out what needs to get done that week and then each day, just take the step in front of you.
  1. Celebrate small victories. Do not wait to celebrate until the Big Task is done; build in small victories. When I was in the process of writing the book, I would give myself a reward after each 5,000 words written. I never, never buy donuts; so it was indeed a special treat to lick the powdered sugar off my fingers. When it came to editing, I was paralyzed at first by the enormity of the task. To get myself moving, I chose a small reward for editing chapters 3 and 4. I now have what I lovingly refer to as my “Chapter 3 and 4” workout shirt.

Lent is Life in the Middle

Recently I got my second manuscript back from my editor and guess what? Each page seems sprinkled in red. Each page. I began to wonder, “Is this worth it? I wonder what is on TV?” But this is why these annual rhythms are vital. Remember, Lent is also a part of the process. And Lent represents a larger process. Jesus meets us here, when the distance between “before” and “after” is long.

Where are you being met in the “long middle?”

In the middle, it’s always good to keep the end in mind.  “Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9, ESV).

Amy Young is a writer, encourager, lover of math, faithful daughter/sister/aunt/friend. And a HUGE Denver Broncos fan! Amy is a former missionary to China (of 20 years or so), blogger at The Messy Middle, and current co-editor of a website/ministry, Velvet Ashes, which ministers to women working in the mission fields all across the world. Her first book was about how to transition well, in and out of the field. You can find Looming Transitions—or gift it to your favorite missionary— on Amazon (eBook, paperback, family activity book) and on Gumroad (as workbook, audiobook, plus a family workbook!)  She is currently finishing up her most recent book, so stay tuned for that. Amy contributes to too many websites to mention and co-hosts a conference for writers—whew! Obviously Amy likes to keep busy!