Middle

Isn't life lived in the middle? From the day we are born until we take our last breath we are simply in the middle of life. I am reaching middle age, I am in the middle of my marriage, parenting, and career goals. I am even in the middle of my higher education, as I begin a masters program in 3 days with aspirations of getting my doctorate in the near future. My name begins with an M, right in the middle of the alphabet. Even my garden is in the middle space between planting and harvesting.

If life is lived in the middle, this means that if our focus is too far forward to the end, we miss all the living and joy this moment has for us. I am not one to live for the weekend, but enjoy the reset that Monday mornings offer. I do not waste time waiting for seasons to change, I embrace what today has to offer and continually move forward. If we want to live as Spirit filled believers, that means we are always in the middle of our transformation into a person more like Christ. We are not what we once were, but we are also still becoming.

The middle is the work. It is the slow and daily grind. It is the living. What if we are only ever given the middle? Can you find the joy of the day, the delight in the sunrise. The warmth of the sun on your face. The good and holy work of your day. The prayers and petitions lifted to the heavens. Is praise on your lips? Let us run our race well, every step of the way, not just focus on the end goal.