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It’s Messy in the Middle

We’re officially into the second half of the year and it’s been a helluva year. I bet that on January 1st you never imagined that this year would pan out like this, did you?

If you’re anything like me, you were probably filled with hope and excitement for what was to come this year. Then came a global pandemic—WHAM! Then came the racial tensions—KAPOW! There was and is so much emotional upheaval that some people ate their way through it, some people chose to wait it out, and some will use it as an opportunity to pivot and flourish. I believe that it all comes down to your ability to see God’s hand in everything and believe the Scripture that tells us, …

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

In the future, all this will be a memory and my hope is that I (we) will have a testimony as a result. We’ll get through this and we will grow from it, but while in the thick of it, it kinda sucks. We just want it to end already!

And it will, but in the meantime, know this …

It’s Messy in the Middle! 

The middle of most journeys is the toughest part.

It’s where the commitments we made at the start come face to face with the reality of the work involved. It’s where we decide if we’re going to rise to the challenge or revert back to our places of comfort (which is actually discomfort).

Messy middles are where the rubber meets the road and you’ve got to make a decision whether to advance toward God’s promises or retreat back into the comfort of complacency and convenience.

When Jesus said that He is the Alpha and Omega—the first and the last, that also means everything in between. Among the Jewish rabbis, it was common to use the first and the last letters of the Hebrew alphabet to denote the whole of anything. This means that just as we trusted Him at the start of this year, we can also trust Him to get us through all of our messy middles—individually and collectively as a nation.

This pretty much sums up our health journeys, too—the yo-yoing, the backsliding, and the promising to never go back to old habits but going back anyway. It’s all part of the messy middle. However, if you allow God to use these moments as opportunities to strengthen and grow you, then you will be victorious in the end.

Things are not looking like you had hoped

It’s true, there is a lot of discouragement and despair. It’s uncomfortable and things are not working out the way you had hoped. But know that it’s always messy in the middle and if you can find purpose in your trying times …

  • Your misery will become your ministry.
  • Your problems will become your purpose.
  • Your greatest pain will produce your greatest power.
  • Your greatest struggles will become your successes.

Are you going through a messy middle right now? Be encouraged, you will reap a harvest if you do not give up. (Gal. 6:9)

Love,

 


P.S. Messy in the Middle is also the name of one of our devotional challenges. If you’re looking for a community of Christian women to support you as you move through your messy middle towards achieving your healthy weight, learn more here Commit 365.

 

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12 Comments

  1. The article “Messy in the Middle”, was very profound to me.

    Not only did it give me a fresh perspective on the middle, but it showed me that I still have a lot of healing to do.

    When I read the title my mind automatically zoomed to, “Great! A quick fix for my belly!” How troubling, but God is not through with me yet.

    Thank’s Cathy.

  2. Thank you so much Kathy. I too walked into 2020 with so many expectations. Then I was like, “Did I hear God wrong.” No I didn’t. Your article was awesome, so true, right on time and it gave me so much hope. It truly is messy in the middle, but God is still in control and what I’ve been desiring will come to fruition. Your article also reminded me of Psalm 40:1, “I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.” Blessing and Favor

    1. Amen Mechelle. This is such a powerful scripture: “I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.” I stand in agreement in this truth with you.

  3. Thank You Cathy, Gal 6:9, I will say everyday, Tells me a harvest is coming if I don’t give up. I will stay the course, and Press On.

  4. Excellent thoughts Cathy! Like everyone else, I stepped boldly into 2020 with the hope that this would be “the year” that I get fit again, that I would reconnect with my loved ones and become a good steward of my finances. It seems that God had other plans.
    As Canadá began to respond to the realization that drastic measures would have to be put into place I first thought that maybe we were all overreacting just a bit. However, it did not take me long to realize that these necessary measures were having a significant impact on my family, friends and neighbours. It certainly got real! Really fast.
    ‘But here’s the interesting thing: my world slowed down, and for the first time in forever, I found myself focusing on important things, like reconnecting with my family through calls and zoom. I began cooking healthy meals instead of ordering in or going out to eat. I stopped practicing retail therapy at all my favourite stores. On both counts I have saved a ton of money! I couldn’t go to the gym, but my trainer offered to do Zoom workouts and Yoga which inspired me to dig out all my equipment which was collecting dust. I even got my hubby working out with me. My neighbours all started going out for walks and so I started meeting new people even though we chatted on opposite sides of the street. I could go on and on!

    maybe, we all needed to slow down and refocus on the important things. I think that God saw that need too. Time will tell how this will all work out, but I truly want to continue on with my new normals. By the grace of God.

    1. Wow! Despite these unprecedented times there so much we can learn if we allow ourselves Jan. Yes, it will be interesting to see if we remember the lessons we’ve learned or if we will revert back to our old habits.

  5. This was good to hear about the messy middle. Thank you so much for encouraging women like me. God Bless & Stay Safe.

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