Making it Through the Middle

May 27, 2020

Making it Through the Middle

There she stands in the middle of something. She needs wisdom, She needs advice. She needs support. She may not know what she needs. She is stuck in the middle. She is in the middle of something. She has a choice. Will she quit or will she keep moving forward, one day at a time?

You and I are in the middle of something. The thing we are in is Universal, we are all in the middle of this together. I want to encourage you to not give up in the middle. In the middle of any situation! That is the very purpose of this post! Do what you need to do make it through this season or any challenging season! This post includes some ways to make it through the middle. May you find encouragement, support, confidence and hope!

Keep your focus on Jesus and trust the work that He is doing in you in this season even when you can't see it right now!

Throughout life we are always in the middle of something. We go through things. We have times of waiting. In the waiting we are right in the middle of something, hoping for a good outcome. The "Middle" can be days, weeks, months or years. The something can be a small something or a huge something. It can bring little change to our lives or it can bring huge major changes to our lives.

The definition of "In the Middle" explained from "Idioms.thefreedictionary.com" :

1. "In the middle of something": In a position between two or more sides in an argument or contentious issue, often leaving one without a clear course of action to satisfy either side.

There you have it we are in the middle of something and we do not have a clear course of action. We don't know what will happen. We don't know what is going to happen next. We don't know how long we will have to wait in this season. We don't know if what we do know will actually happen or if that will will also change. We don't know what the new normal will look like. We don't know what the final outcome will be and how it will effect us or how we are going to be. We don't know what we will look like on the other side.

This is okay because there is Someone who knows all.

God isOmniscient. This means God is all-knowing. This means God knows everything, including the past and future. There is nothing God is unaware of. Omnipotent means God is all-powerful and Omnipresent means all-present. All-knowing, All-powerful and All-present.

This means this that you are in the middle of is not a surprise to Him. So do you know what that means? We can trust Him and enjoy our every day living. We can Trust the Lord with all of our whole heart and lean not on our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6) because He knows all, is all powerful, and is always present in our lives and in the world today. He knows what He is doing.

Being in the "Middle" of everyday life situations there can be a lot of unknowns and if we are not careful our mind can go wild. If we are not careful our mind can go down bunny trails. If we are not careful we can play the thoughts over and over like a broken record and be tormented by all the "what if;'s". If we are not careful we can trigger anxiety in our lives of the unknown future. If we are not careful we can allow fear and depression to creep into our minds and hearts and manifest in our physical being and actions. If we are not careful we can allow the "In the middle of Something" steal our joy for life and who we want to be for God, our family, friends and ourselves.

If it is a personal "in the middle of something" we may need the love and support of our family and friends and we may not be in a position to reciprocate the support back in a particular season of life. This may be an illness, the death of a loved one or some other personal reason or issue. This is normal and quite all right as we go through different seasons of life. If our family and friends are not able to offer the support needed we may need to seek the help from a Counselor, therapist or from Pastoral Care.

How can we make it through the Middle?

Surround yourself with things that bring you Joy. We can't control the world and the things that happen to you but you can look for the little things of life that bring you joy and keep them close to you. What in your daily life brings a smile to your face? What do you look forward to? What can you put in your home that will spark joy in your life? For me White fairy lights, candles, jar candles, an essential oil diffuser, drinking tea bring me joy so I try to keep those close to me. And most importantly keeping your focus on Jesus as your ultimate Joy giver. (Nehemiah 8:10b)

Check our attitudes. Are we allowing negativity to creep in and steal our positive mind set. Take a moment to think about what you are thinking about. If you find that there is a lot of negative thoughts creeping in then think of a positive thought that you can replace and say to yourself to cancel out the negativity. (Romans 12:12)

Check our mind set. Take a moment and do an inventory of your thought life. What are you thinking about?What is taking up the most time in your thought life? If you are struggling, find a phrase or a Bible verse to say to yourself when you catch yourself going back to the broken record or starting to go down the bunny hole of thinking. We can "Take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5) We don't have to listen to every thought that enters ours minds.

Keep a Thankful List. There is always something to be thankful for. What are you grateful for? Write it down in a journal each day, in your planner, on your phone, on a sticky note, on a piece of paper or any other way you can think of. There are so many benefits to having a thankful heart. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Walk out your Patience! Patience is huge. Things are out of our control so we might as well be patient and roll with what is going on and continue to enjoy each day. Do the best we can, and do what we can do and let God do the rest. We can ask the Lord for more patience if we are struggling in this area. (Romans 12:12)

Journal! If you are having a lot of negativity in your thoughts when you took a moment to think about what you are thinking about. Then Journaling all your thoughts and getting them out of your mind and onto paper may be beneficial. Putting your thought somewhere so the thoughts are not just rolling around in your mind. This may also help you process what you are feeling. You can see them and reread them. You can even write out prayers or Bible verses that fit your situation. Going back and rereading once you have made it through something is awesome to see how God was working and a good way to remember things we easily forget.
(Benefits of Journaling)

Goals! Write out goals that you can work on in the middle of this particular season. If there is a change in your schedule or you have extra time, take advantage of it and use it to your advantage and work on something you have been wanting to do for a long time. A project around the house, something that needs fixed, a craft, a hobby, writing a letter, getting in contact with someone you haven't talked to in a long time etc. Are there goals in your personal life, spiritual life, take the time to reflect on them and ways you can incorporate them in this season and on. Philippians 3:13)

What opportunities can you seek out in the middle of this difficulty?

Stress Relievers! What relieves stress for you? Going on a walk or run? listening to music? Reading? Working on a craft or project? Organizing something? Journaling? Doing Yoga? Talking to a friend? Drinking a hot cup of coffee or tea? Sitting outside? Being in Nature? Find what brings some relieve to your stress levels and keep them in your daily routine as much as possible. (Philippians 4:6-7)

Ask God "Lord, what are you trying to teach me in the middle of this particular season?" When we look back we can see that we grow the most when we face difficult things, hard seasons and tough situations. Is there something that you need to work on in your life or change? Use this time to reflect and allow the Lord to continue to bring more growth in your life. We can inquire of the Lord and ask God for wisdom (James 1:5)

Stick close to Family and Friends. If you have family around who you can confide in or friends you can trust as you are in the middle of something. Reach out. Ask for prayer. Ask for help. (James 5:1, Galatians 6:3)

Seek support from a Counselor. If you are unable to confide in family or friends and need a third party or a trained professional to help you as you are walking through the middle of something. Please find a Counselor, therapist or a Pastor who you can talk to as you navigate through a particular season. There is no shame in seeking someone to talk to. Sometimes just a few sessions can do wonders or more to get you through the middle of a longer situaiton. (A good article about biblical counsel)

Do all that you can do in the middle of this time and Trust God with the rest. Pray for wisdom and guidance while you are going through something, ask is there something I can do? If there is then do it. If not, then Trust God with the rest. What God brings you to, He will bring you through it. Continue to praise, worship and read His word. Sometimes when we are going through the middle of something is where we find our relationship with the Lord grows the most, the deepest. I know this has been true in my life in various seasons of my life. (Psalm 37:3a)

Remember! Most importantly remember all that God has brought you through up to this point in your life. It may be helpful to make a list of everything you have been through in your life and how you made it through to the other side. What challenges have you have faced and made it through? What has life thrown at you and you made it through? What have been your darkest moments and you made it out? What have you been in the middle of and made it through? It is important to remember. We so quickly forget. God is faithful and He uses the storms of life to bring maturity and growth in our lives. Samuel used stones as a memorial when God’s people wanted to remember His goodness and faithfulness. (Stones of Remembrance 1 Samuel 7:12)

James says to Consider it Pure Joy!!! How can we incorporate this into our lives?

If you can think of other ways that have helped you "make it through the middle " please share them. I would love to hear what has helped you through a particular season or through a current season!

Remember: Don't give up! You will look back and say "I made it through the middle of..."