New Year’s Day means something different to everyone. For some, it means a “restart” to the clock, a “redo” at life, a chance to make life better. For others it means “goodbye”. Goodbye to old habits, old relationships, loved ones, and tragedies from the years before. And for some, it is a crux, a place between. We call it “in between towns” at our house.
“In between towns” refers to the gap between significant locations in a journey. When our daughter was little, we could travel to our hometown about four hours away. Along the route there were three or four significant towns, usually stopping points along the interstate and highways that were otherwise vacant on our trips. As any young child, she would ask where we were, and we would often say, “in between towns” to explain that we were not in a familiar place and were not able to stop.
We have found ourselves “in between towns” many times in life, not just in traveling. When Maddie was declining, we found ourselves in between treatment and returning to her Home. We spent weeks in a place where there was nothing more we could do to stop her cancer, yet we still had her with us, day after day, sometimes declining, and sometimes holding steady before the next place on her path. Oftentimes we found ourselves the most agitated “in between towns”. We found ourselves longing to go back to the way things were before, yet we looked ahead to the future that would be nothing like the past.
Sometimes “in between” is exciting, other times it is unnerving. I remember flying to South Korea by myself when I was 21 to see my husband who’d been away for 6 months. I was so excited, a little scared, and the “in between towns” was such a long part of the journey! I remember being terrified as I went through customs for the first time in my life in Tokyo, Japan. I knew no one, not the language, where to go or what to do. It was in a time before cell phones, so I didn’t even have someone to call! At the same time, it was on that trip of “in betweens” I learned to stand strong and tall with confidence. If I could fly across the globe by myself, I could do quite a bit more than I gave myself credit for in my younger years!
I pray for my friends who are “in between” right now as we enter 2020. Some are struggling with changing where life will go for them in the new year, requiring them to step out of their comfort zones. Others are facing the new year with trepidation as their source of strength is not promised to be a pillar in the coming year.
One truth as we go into the new year is that there is a constant that has not changed, and will not change though we enter a new decade. God has been a stronghold for His people since the beginning of time. Though we have come to an era where He is less welcome than ever, I know that even “in between towns” He is there. In the 23rd Psalm it is written that God is the good shepherd who leads us in the valley of the shadow of death. (Did you know that is an actual place? There is a valley that stays completely dark and was an “in between towns” passage that David had to travel frequently.) Dark spaces can be scary. Guilt, fear, shame, ridicule, insecurities, and doubt surface in the dark areas of our journey. Yet through it all, God promises to guide us through the darkest “in betweens” in our lives. He will guide us when to rest, when to replenish, and when to stand firm to complete our journey.
I love this chapter of the Psalm. It is a reminder that God didn’t say we would not have valleys of darkness. He didn’t promise we would never fall astray. He simply said that when we are “in between towns” in our journey, where our faith waivers and our dedication to Him sways, He will still lead us. He knows I will make promises and pledges I cannot keep in the New Year. He knows I will fall and sometimes even fail. He knows the world will defeat me long the way. Yet, He also knows my heart is dedicated to follow Him, and He will guide me when I certainly have no business in the lead! He will soothe my parched lips with His cooling waters. He will give my broken heart rest in His words of the Heaven that awakes beyond this ravaged world. And through it all, He will gladly lead the way.
So, if your year begins with renewed resolutions, promises to look ahead and not back, or if you find yourself in a valley “in between” the past and the future, just know that your path ahead can be led by the Good Shepherd. Sending prayers and love to each of you as the New Year rings in. Just remember, don’t stay “in between”, follow Him ahead and enjoy the journey!