The Joy of the In-Between

Informationen zum Autor Ashley Hetherington Klappentext "Are you sick of waiting for your "real" life to begin? This joy-filled daily devotional offers the abundant peace that comes when you place your trust in God's plan and start living today-from the founder of The Honey Scoop"-- Zusammenfassung NATIONAL BESTSELLER • ECPA BESTSELLER • Are you sick of waiting for your real life to begin? This joy-filled daily devotional offers the abundant peace that comes when you place your trust in God's plan and start living todayfrom the founder of the Honey Scoop. Ashley's timely wisdom will draw you in and leave you feeling equipped and encouraged to begin each day with joy.Rebekah Lyons, bestselling author of Rhythms of Renewal Do you have big dreams and can hardly wait to start the future God has planned for you? But maybe you haven't yet arrived where you want to be. Perhaps you yearn for the spouse you've been praying for, the career you've been working toward, or the life you've been hoping for. Whatever your longings, waiting can be difficult. But you don't have to wait until God answers your prayers to embrace where He has you today. The truth is, you're not just hanging around for what comes nextyou're in a meaningful process of becoming the person God created you to be. This daily devotional from the founder of the Honey Scoop will fill you with encouragement to help you deepen your faith as you trust God with your life and its sweetness exactly where you are right nownot where you will be someday. You don't need to waste your current season as you wait for what's next. Discover how you can experience more joy, more purpose, and more trust in God today, and make the most of these holy, God-given days as you embrace The Joy of the In-Between .

Autorentext

Ashley Hetherington

Klappentext

"Are you sick of waiting for your "real" life to begin? This joy-filled daily devotional offers the abundant peace that comes when you place your trust in God's plan and start living today-from the founder of The Honey Scoop"--

Zusammenfassung
**NATIONAL BESTSELLER • ECPA BESTSELLER • Are you sick of waiting for your “real” life to begin? This joy-filled daily devotional offers the abundant peace that comes when you place your trust in God’s plan and start living today—from the founder of the Honey Scoop.

“Ashley’s timely wisdom will draw you in and leave you feeling equipped and encouraged to begin each day with joy.”—Rebekah Lyons, bestselling author of Rhythms of Renewal

Do you have big dreams and can hardly wait to start the future God has planned for you? But maybe you haven’t yet arrived where you want to be. Perhaps you yearn for the spouse you’ve been praying for, the career you’ve been working toward, or the life you’ve been hoping for. Whatever your longings, waiting can be difficult. But you don’t have to wait until God answers your prayers to embrace where He has you today.

The truth is, you’re not just hanging around for what comes next—you’re in a meaningful process of becoming the person God created you to be. This daily devotional from the founder of the Honey Scoop will fill you with encouragement to help you deepen your faith as you trust God with your life and its sweetness exactly where you are right now—not where you will be someday. You don’t need to waste your current season as you wait for what’s next.

Discover how you can experience more joy, more purpose, and more trust in God today, and make the most of these holy, God-given days as you embrace The Joy of the In-Between.

Leseprobe
Day 1

What to Do in the Waiting

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

—1 Peter 5:10, ESV

One Saturday morning, I decided to go on a walk. I came to a stoplight, pressed the button, and waited for the signal. One minute passed. I hit the button again, thinking that surely pressing it multiple times would speed up the process. Another minute passed . . . and I was still waiting.

I then noticed a sign above the crosswalk button that read Steady, encouraging pedestrians to wait for the signal to illuminate. I had been standing about four minutes at this one stoplight—which felt like an eternity. And then, finally, a signal said Walk, and I continued on my way.

Later that day, I thought about the word steady and how it relates to a long, painful waiting season. Other words for steady are consistent, faithful, regular, and constant. It can be difficult to know what to do while you wait, when you’re not sure what’s next or why God is making you wait so long. But perhaps there is something we can do as we wait: We can stay steady. We can stay faithful. We can stay consistent, right where our feet are.

How has God been faithful to you in the past?

What does it look like to stay faithful where God has you today?

In my own life, that’s looked like continuing to show up to the same church and the same community and love the same people God has given me to love, no matter how frustrating they may seem. I can stay faithful in prayer and Scripture reading, even when I don’t see my circumstance changing. Half the battle of staying faithful in a waiting season is continuing to show up.

No matter how long you’ve been waiting, God will give you strength as you struggle to get through today. He will direct you as you feel directionless. He will steady you as you remain faithful to what He has given you to do. Eventually, God’s perfect plan will be revealed in your situation. And perhaps because of your wait, the answered prayers and the change of seasons will be all the sweeter when it finally happens. So, stay faithful today. Stay steady. Eventually, this season will give way to something new. And when it happens, you will be ready.

Lord, I lift up this season of waiting to You. Please help me wait well and stay faithful right where You have me. I know You will not waste this season. In Jesus’s name, amen.

Day 2

God Knows What You Need

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.

—Romans 8:26

The other day I was sitting at a coffee shop, working on my laptop. When lunchtime rolled around, the most random craving came to mind: I wanted a taco bowl. But since I didn’t know of any nearby taco places, I let the thought go.

Shortly after, I got a call from one of my good friends. “Hey, Ash, have you had lunch yet?”

“No, not yet! But I was just wondering what to get.”

“I’m going to bring you lunch.”

That was music to my ears. I thanked her and asked what she was bringing. She replied, “I made Mexican rice this morning, so I’m going to make a little taco bowl with it!” You should have seen the look on my face.

Although this example may seem like a happy coincidence, it reveals a God who cares about even the smallest details in our lives. I love what Romans 8:26 says about the Spirit interceding when we don’t know what to pray for. Isn’t it crazy that the God of the universe knew my desire for a taco bowl—and He met my desire? Not even because I asked Him for it, but just because He loves me. And if God cares about small things like what I want for lunch, He certainly cares about major things, such as what I desire for my life and relationships and future. He cares just as much for your desires right now—no matter how insignificant th…