Living in Limbo Land

Waiting, 1880–1882. 48.2 cm x 61 cm. Norton Simon Museum at the J. Paul Getty Museum, Pasadena, Los Angeles.

Opening Prayer: Dear Lord, it’s me again. Thank you that I can take joy in knowing that you always receive me with joy. I am never too much. I can never talk to you or be with you too much. Help me during the period of living in limbo-land to enjoy the precious ability to have time in abundance. Help me to use it wisely to renew our relationship and to build on that renewal daily. Amen.

Scripture: Isaiah 40:28-29

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.

He gives power to the faint and strengthens the powerless.

Meditation: My least favorite place to live is in limbo-land. This season in which we are asked to “shelter in place” feels like limbo-land. We know that this is not the way it will always be, but we have no idea how long this season will last. We also have no idea once this period ends how long it will take to get back to a sense of normalcy, or even what normal will look like. Living in limbo-land makes me feel anxious and the anxiety I am feeling causes me to feel tired, restlessly tired. In some ways, waiting provides too much potential. I wonder if it is this that makes me nervous. What if after all of this waiting, my next step is wrong? What if it turns out that I have wasted all of my time waiting in limbo land, only to find myself worse off than before?

In times like these, it is important to force ourselves to focus. Worries due to feelings of powerlessness or unfocused energy making us feel faint wastes these rare opportunities. Focus instead on the "everlasting God the Creator of the ends of the earth." Focus instead on our God who does not grow faint or weary. It is when we shift focus, that we can find hope in the promises God makes in Isaiah to give power to those who feel faint and strength to those who feel powerless. 

Living in the season of limbo is not fun and can stir up a sense of powerlessness, leading us to feel faint. I encourage you to shift your focus a bit and to revel in the potential afforded us to receive power and strength from one who offers both abundantly.

Closing Prayer: Dear Lord teach me not to lean on just my own strength and power, but to drink deep at the well that does not run dry. Calm my fears and feelings of powerlessness. Help me to see all of the power I have in you. Provide me with rest in this time of restlessness and help me to see with hope the potential afforded me. Amen.