In‑Between Places

The joyful shouting and weeping mingled together in a loud noise that could be heard far in the distance. – Ezra 3:13 (NLT)

Last week Janice and I were able to spend a few days with a friend who lost her husband a few years ago. Since then, she has been trying to move forward — to find a new normal — while still coping with the grief and hugeness of the loss of her longtime companion and dearest friend. She is doing the brave work of living in an in‑between place: holding on to what was, while slowly learning how to live with what is.

Ezra 3:10-13 resonated with me. The people of Israel were also in that in‑between place of mourning and discovering new joy. When the foundation of the new temple was laid, some shouted for joy. Some wept with grief. And all of it rose together in one loud, honest sound that could be heard far in the distance. They were standing in a moment where the past still hurt, and the future was just beginning — and God met them right there.

Many of us live in those in‑between places. We carry memories that still ache, and at the same time we’re trying to step toward whatever comes next. If that’s where you find yourself today, hear the song that rose on that ancient day: “He is so good! His faithful love endures forever!” That truth was sung over a people rebuilding their lives, and it can be sung over you as well.

God’s faithful love is big enough to hold your tears and your hope at the same time. You don’t have to choose one or the other. You can bring all of it — the sorrow that still lingers, the joy that’s slowly returning, the questions you don’t yet have answers for — and trust that God is already building something new beneath your feet.

Faithful God, meet us in the places where joy and sorrow mingle. Hold our memories gently, and steady our steps as we move toward what comes next. Teach us to trust your goodness in every season and remind us that your faithful love endures forever. Amen.

Grace & Peace, Pastor Tim