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How many of you feel like on your current journey of life that you aren’t at the beginning or at the end, but in the middle? There are many things you could be in the middle of in your life right now. If you are ill in anyway and the tests are done and the diagnosis has been given but you aren’t healed, then you are in the middle. If you are writing a book and you have the rough draft done but not yet published then you are in the middle of edits and challenges that might be new to you.
Apply that to your life right now. Are you in the middle of something? It could be an affair, it could be a divorce, it could be losing someone you love, dealing with a miscarriage, it could be changing jobs, it could be losing a job, it could be overcoming a fear, dealing with spousal abuse, an unexpected pregnancy, it could be planning for a wedding, or it could be financial issues. The possibilities you could be in the middle of are vast.
How do you handle these times in your life? Are you overly stressed and filled with worry? Are you being reckless and just a bit wild? Are you living in denial about your situation? Are you taking things one day at a time? If you are in the middle of a situation right now and it’s been going on for some time, what are you learning from being in this state? Are you stuck here because you haven’t sought out wisdom to get you through?
Each of us handles challenges we face differently and not any one of them is right or wrong, it’s how we manage to cope. The seasons of life are constantly changing; situations that you are in the middle of do change, some slowly and some more quickly. Are your eyes open to the possibilities to change this time in your life?
Here are a few steps you could try to help you get from the middle to the other side of your journey’s challenges.
1. If you believe in God, go to Him in prayer, seek out His wisdom by reading His word or make an appointment with your local pastor so he can guide you through this time in your life.
2. Journal – Take the time to write out your feelings, what is going on, the pros and cons of the situation, how you should best approach and overcome your challenge. You can at times work things out by doing this so that you can move towards the results you want. Start with what you are thankful for in your life, as a positive spin on your current life, it will help you also figure out how to proceed.
3. Speak with a close friend – Ask a friend to lunch or to come over and really explain your challenges and how you can’t see what to do or where to go from that point. Maybe they have some insights or experience similar that could be beneficial in helping you see beyond what you are focused so that you can move forward. When we are in certain circumstances we live with blinders on as we are so focused on the problems we can’t see the solutions. Another point of view is always helpful during a time like this.
4. Get involved with others – When you give of yourself to others it clarifies in your mind what is going on for you, as to how bad your situation really is, how you need to adjust your path to a new direction to help you through your circumstances. You also can make others smile and help their day become better and that in turn will help you too.
5. If its health related – Seek a second opinion, get further information about what is going on, do some research of your own on the topic, make adjustments, small changes if need be and have a positive attitude with the choices you make to improve your health. Nothing harms you more than agreeing to do something as a treatment and in the back of your mind you are telling yourself this won’t work. Of course it won’t if you keep telling your self that. Try thinking positively about the situation, analyze your real options and pick the one that you feel the strongest.
6. Building a dream – If you have started to build a dream and you are now in the middle and you are having doubts then analyze where these doubts are truly coming from. Is it fear talking? Are you letting a previously bad situation talk you right out of what you want to do? If you truly want this dream then go after it and work out those challenges that are facing you.
In the middle is when most people quit. The journey gets to hard, it takes to much work, they become unsure, there are more challenges than they had thought would arise, but your lack of experience could just be fear of the unknown trying to change your path or make you quit. Don’t give in. Once you are in the middle keep pressing on. What you are trying to achieve is just on the other side of that voice trying to convince you to quit.
If you choose to sail across from one continent to another and even with your technology to plan the route, to focus on the direction you are heading, storms come; waves get really choppy and nearly knock you from your course. Do you turn back or keep going? When you look at how much food and supplies you have left would it be a better decision to turn back and risk dying trying to get back to where you started? Would it be better to keep pressing on and moving forward even if the challenges you faced changes the course a bit when land is just ahead a few days more? Just because you can’t see where you are going does not mean you aren’t close to the other side and all those questions will have answers and no longer be unknown to you.
If you go on a hike, you plan for it, you bring food and water, and you pick a day that the weather is good and you park your car close to where your hike will end. You start hiking and out of nowhere the clouds roll in and it begins to drizzle, you continue on because it’s only a light rain and you can handle that on your hike. As you get to the middle of your hike it starts to really pour rain. Do you turn around and go back to where you started even though your car is at the end? Do you continue ahead and head for the car? Do you along the way decide to enjoy a flower, a small animal, how the rain washes everything clean as you take out your umbrella you brought just in case and continue on your journey? How you react to the middle is a choice and it’s at that moment whether you quit or press on.
The other aspect of being in the middle is we are so focused on the troubles we don’t take the time to enjoy the moments while we are there. Each individual moment on your journey are memories that should bring you joy, help you through those difficult times and give you the inspiration and desire to press on to the other side.
Some of our journeys ‘in the middle’ last a short while and others for years. Even in the middle you need to focus on what you are learning, the moments that bring you joy, and how this will improve you when you get to the other side.
Have a blessed week!
