“Be still, and know that I am God…” – Psalm 46:10
I haven’t met anyone who hasn’t spent time working in the in-between.
Let me give you a few examples, maybe:
- in a part time role as you finished college. You are working in the in-between of student and professional.
- in an apprenticeship. You are working in the in-between of laborer and skilled trades person.
- have been downsized or fired and you must take the best role on a list of some very uninspiring options. You are working in the in-between of where you are and where you hope to be.
- are at a place that you really like but you have an idea that you can’t shake. You are working in the in-between of having the security of a paycheck and the excitement of entrepreneurship.
- are in the fourth quarter of your career. There is light at the end of the tunnel. You are working in the in-between of career and retirement.
Nehemiah served in the court of a foreign king – aching to repair the walls of his home. Joseph had several vivid in-betweens. He was in a hole between being a family member and a slave, and in prison between a false accusation and being a rising star of wisdom and leadership. David lived for years on the run between his role as a shepherd but not yet a king. Jesus stepped into the muddy waters of the Jordan River between being the carpenter’s son and the announcement of being Messiah of the world.
When we are “in-between” at work, we are at the threshold of experiencing the transformational grace of God or we can spiral into bitterness, grumbling, and regret. If we examine the lives of the examples above, and the multitude of others in scripture, we can find wisdom for our time in-between.
They had a deep and honest ache for what can be. Part of the beauty of the Bible is the raw emotion that it captures. People who are transformed in the in-between shed tears, question, shout, confess, and plead with God. They don’t put on a happy face and carry on. They are unfiltered in their cries and conversations with God.
- Review your recent conversations with God. Have you articulated your aches to Him? Are you being transparent before Him?
They planned for God’s “yes.” In Nehemiah chapter one, we read of his honest ache. But in the second chapter we see that he had not just been praying, he had also been planning. He did not slide into despair. Nehemiah was ready for if and when God opened the door for him to move forward.
- How does that land with where you are in your in-between? If God said yes tomorrow to wherever you hope to be and whatever you hope to be doing, are you ready? Are your skills sharp? Have you thought through your strengths, needs, blindspots, and areas for growth? If someone wrote the check, do you know how to use it?
They clung to who they understand God to be – even if they are not feeling it in the moment. Those who are transformed by the in-between times have a community around them. They remind each other of God’s character and attributes when things aren’t working out like we hope they would. So many Psalms follow the pattern I’ve laid out: (1) a vulnerable perspective on their pain (2) followed by a plea for God’s activity and their wisdom in the midst of it, and (3) concluding with some version of, “And yet we know you are faithful.” I forget that part if I’m living life alone. We need people who instill and repeat that to us.
- Take a moment and think of 2–3 people that consistently remind you of the character and attributes of God. Have you let them in on your current in-between? When will you do that? How can they walk with you through this threshold?
Think and Pray: We are convinced that God is at work: in your work, at your work, and through your work. But let me reassure you, we also believe God is at work in all the in-betweens of your work. Heavenly Father, when I face uncertainty, help me to trust that You are at work in ways I have yet to discover in Jesus’ name, Amen!
Darrel Harvey, Director of the Workmatters Institute, joined the Workmatters team in March of 2019. Before joining the Workmatters team, his vocation had been expressed as a church planter, pastor, mentor, entrepreneur, and as a connector in the Bentonville business community.
