Don’t give up during the season of “In Between”!
by Jennifer Greene-Sullivan
Key Verse:
“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.”
— Isaiah 40:31 (NIV)
Additional Scriptures for the Journey:
- “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.”
— Isaiah 26:3 (NIV) - “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
— Philippians 4:8 (NIV)
Devotional Thought:
There’s a tension that exists between who we used to be and who we are becoming — a sacred stretch we often call the in between. It’s the space after we’ve surrendered old patterns of thinking but before we fully see the fruit of transformation.
It can feel: disorienting, isolating, discouraging.
Yet, this “in between” is holy ground.
The “in between” happens as God does His deepest work — not in our arrival, but in our becoming. It’s the classroom of the Spirit; where He retrains our minds to walk in truth, not trauma; in identity, not insecurity. The world may tell us to fix it fast or move on, but God invites us to linger here — to heal, to hear, and to behold.
I often remember Peter after denying Jesus three times; he wasn’t instantly restored. There were days of waiting between the resurrection and the breakfast on the shore in John 21, where Jesus tenderly restored him. Peter had to live in that ache, that in between, before stepping into his calling.
So do we.
I’ll never forget the “in between” season I lived through after COVID. We were back in school — masked, distanced, with students half-there and half-missing. The rhythm was all wrong; the atmosphere strained.
Every day, I prayed not to be quarantined. Miraculously, I never was — not because of a sick student anyway. Only when I was sick myself did I stay home. However, more than the chaos around me was the intense internal stretching that was happening to me all day long.
The Lord was tenderly and painfully unpacking years of grief I had buried — grief over the sudden passing of my daddy and his mother, just a week apart in 2016. Their absence left a gaping hole, and so much of life had shifted in response. On top of that, I was wrestling with the weight of leaving Wilcox County Schools and the emotions surrounding my new role in Wheeler County. I cried every day on my commute. I prayed constantly — during the drive, in the classroom, on planning periods. I wiped tears and snot off my face, forced a smile, and taught the precious teens who sat in their desks.
One day at lunch, a teacher friend asked me a simple but piercing question:
“Jennifer, what do you want out of life now that COVID quarantine is over?”
My answer startled everyone at the table:
“I just want to stop sobbing on the way to work. The day I no longer cry on the way here is the day I’ll know the Lord has done a good work inside me.”
I didn’t explain. I didn’t offer context. But I knew — I was stuck in complicated grief, barely surviving, far from thriving.
He was working, and I was waiting. Yet, restoration hadn’t fully come.
In this space, I was called to keep my mind stayed on Him (Isaiah 26:3) and to dwell on what is true, noble, right, and pure (Philippians 4:8), even when my thoughts wanted to drift into doubt or fear. The best advice I can offer while going through the “in between” renewal and the restoration of your mind is this:
Keep your mind focused on Jesus; keep your eyes fixed on the prize; keep your ears tuned into His voice!!
As we come to the completion of the devotional time, what is the WORD of God that we will stand on during the “in between”?
Psalm 51:10-12
“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me… restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”
Application:
If you’re in a season where things feel messy, undone, or unfinished — take heart. The “in between” is not wasted. God is renewing your mind even when you can’t see the change yet. Restoration is not an event. It’s a process. Sometimes, a long process.
Ask yourself:
- What is God trying to teach me while I wait?
- Am I trying to rush through what He’s asking me to sit with?
- What lie about myself or my worth is He slowly peeling away?
Challenge before Prayer:
Write a letter to your future self — the one who has come through this “in between” season. Speak truth, remind yourself of God’s promises, and thank Him in advance for the restoration you haven’t yet seen. Place it somewhere safe or tuck it in your Bible. Revisit it later, and watch how far He’s brought you.
Prayer:
Father, I don’t always understand this in-between place, but I trust that You are working even when I don’t see progress. I surrender the urge to rush. I give You my confusion, my fears, my frustrations — and I ask You to use this space to renew my mind and restore my heart. Teach me patience in the process. Let my hope be anchored in You alone. Help me fix my thoughts on what is good, and keep my mind stayed on You, so I can walk in perfect peace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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The Aging English Major 