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Right Now Matters & So Do You — Surviving The In-Between Time

By Bonnie Gray • November 13, 2010 • 18 Comments

A lot of everyday life is spent surviving the “In-Between” time — en route between where we are to where God wants to be. Without faith, we’re only left with the daily grind.

I had never baked chicken before.

If you wanted your chicken stir-fried or marinaded tender in a soup, no sweat. I’ve paid my dues learning to cook as sous chef under my Chinese mom growing up. I can tackle a whole chicken with cleaver, giblets and all. But, I had never put a bird in the oven before.

I was a newly married wife to a husband who loved barbecue chicken. I wanted to surprise my less-than-one-week-old groom and greet him at the door — with a hug and the smell of a favorite meal cooking up close behind me.

I read the recipe. Brush olive oil on the chicken breast… Stick them in the oven. Easy enough.

What threw me off wasn’t the prep.

Bake 40 minutes.

My husband was due home in 20 minutes.

There was no way I could shorten time. Wait a minute… Maybe I could!

The directions called for an oven temperature of 325 degrees. I solved the problem by cutting my baking time in half — by turning up the temperature to 500 degrees…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

…To read the rest of my story and see what happened next – click here and jump over to DaySpring’s (In)Courage website, where today’s post is published.

Share a comment there – I’d love to hear your thoughts and have your company!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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18 Comments

  • Reply Heather Conrad November 13, 2010 at 6:59 am

    Thank you, thank you. Sweet, warm goodness to my soul – much needed. Thanks for obeying Him in answering His call for you to write. May you sense His blessings today!

    • Reply Bonnie Gray November 13, 2010 at 8:23 am

      Thank you Heather, for your soul sweet words. They bless me more than you know!

  • Reply Meredith November 13, 2010 at 7:53 am

    I loved the article on God using the in between times. For five years, I have been working through issues regarding severe childhood abuse. At times, I thought I had lost my self totally and might not live through the pain, emotionally or physically. Most of that time, I did feel I was simply just surviving and that that was not good enough. I had moments I could not even cry out to God or was too angry to even desire Him. A few months ago, I went to a weekend retreat, and had what seemed like a quick, intense healing. I was shocked at how most of my issues seemed to be dealt with in just a few days. God finally reminded me that I had been working on these issues for at least five years, and even when I felt I was not seeking God, He was with me all along, loving me and healing me even when I was wanting desperately to die. Now, I am still experiencing hurt, anger and a plethera of emotions. But, the joy and peace I have struggled to keep for seven years, is now my constant companion. It seems too good to be true, but I feel like a Mom who just had a baby. The beautiful new life is sooo amazing, that she forgets the painful hours of labor. That’s how I feel. The trauma and deep agony I went through for so long seems tiny compared to the thing God has birthed in me. For the first time in my life, I know I am loved by God and safe in His arms, and nothing I am going through , including my husband filing for divorce last week, is causing me to doubt this truth. Although the “in between” years seemed like a nightmare and I feared they would never bear fruit, now I can see clearly how God was there all along, holding me and molding me into His beloved bride. I am heartbroken by the prospect of losing the love of my life, my husband of sixteen years, but I am thrilled at knowing God is my husband and is the only one who truly knows my heart and loves what He made! So, I can now thank God for the “in between times”, and I can’t wait to walk with other women who have been victims of trauma through these times. I know I had many people who God sent to be His hands and feet when I needed it. Thanks Bonnie Gray! This was my first time on your website! 🙂

    • Reply Bonnie Gray November 13, 2010 at 8:26 am

      Incredible story, Meredith. May you continue to share the grace that you received in those In-Between years — the faith you’ve gotten out of those years is the treasure of God intimate in your heart, in every way. Thanks for sharing it here!

      • Reply Meredith November 13, 2010 at 8:31 am

        Thanks, Bonnie! 🙂

  • Reply Tweets that mention Right Now Matters & So Do You — Surviving The In-Between Time | Faith Barista -- Topsy.com November 13, 2010 at 2:11 pm

    […] This post was mentioned on Twitter by FaithBarista, Jay Cookingham. Jay Cookingham said: Right Now Matters & So Do You — Surviving The In-Between Time http://bit.ly/aEWQz1 /cc @feedly […]

  • Reply Laurel November 13, 2010 at 2:59 pm

    This was just what I needed today. I’d never heard of your blog, but a friend shared this with me. I look forward to reading more.

    The last year and a half have been a time of hard stuff … a time of transition … an “in-between” time for our family. For the past 7 months, my husband has been working out of town 5 days/week, while I “hold down the fort” and homeschool my 6 youngest children (incl. a very traumatized adopted daughter who really needs her daddy).

    I’m not involved in anything outside of mothering right now. My kids aren’t involved in much outside the home. We are just living in a waiting pattern, waiting for the Lord to open doors for our family to be together again.

    But, this encouraged me. Even if ALL that I am doing is loving my children at home, and loving and serving my husband from afar … that’s enough. That is all that I am called to do right now … today … in this time.

    We are hopeful. We are prayerful. We believe that God has GREAT things in store. But, for now, we wait … and keep loving Jesus day to day.

    Thanks for the encouragement.

    Laurel
    mama of a dozen

    • Reply Bonnie Gray November 16, 2010 at 3:28 pm

      Dear Laurel, I have two little ones, I can’t imagine a dozen! 🙂 It takes amazing courage and strength for what you are doing. Your waiting is forging a great gift in your children — yourself and God’s care. Thank you for sharing your story of faith. You are doing the work that counts! The Lord sees. He will bring fruit.

  • Reply David @ Red Letter Believers November 15, 2010 at 8:48 am

    Great fun. Good post. I love BBQ chicken too! And it can’t be cooked too fast.

    I love discipleship. But it’s a slow process. “A long obedience in the same direction”
    .-= David @ Red Letter Believers´s last blog ..The molester down the hall =-.

    • Reply Bonnie Gray November 16, 2010 at 3:32 pm

      Great quote — Eugene Petersen. Good stuff.

  • Reply Nikole Hahn November 15, 2010 at 1:34 pm

    A widowed friend of mine used to say 350 degrees for an hour on everything. Needless to say, nothing came out great. LOL
    .-= Nikole Hahn´s last blog ..A Good Attitude is a Terrible Thing To Waste =-.

    • Reply Bonnie Gray November 16, 2010 at 3:33 pm

      LOL! 🙂

  • Reply Sistergirl November 15, 2010 at 7:32 pm

    That is too funny!

    I am so happy that you didn’t give up on cooking. That could have discourage you.
    Its something small but if you didn’t have the right attitude it could have caused problems in your marriage.

    Oh… barbeque chicken is my specialty. My mom always said I needed to have a signature dish. My trick is to boil the chicken first and then bake it slow. The meat just falls off the bone. Delicious! lol

    • Reply Bonnie Gray November 16, 2010 at 3:34 pm

      Thank you, Sistergirl! I will have to look this up in a recipe… and improve my “game”. 😉

  • Reply Lisa Colón DeLay November 18, 2010 at 1:30 pm

    I like to crock pot chicken. It falls off the bone that way. mmm

    I think there has been too little and too many unhelpful things said about the down times of the faith journey. Perhaps obscure times is a better name for it. It’s easy to see these periods as slumps, or times were we “lack faith” … but it’s helpful to know that some in the Christian tradition are open about what they consider a normal but discomforting part (not a deficient part) of the faith journey.

    Throughout Christian history this has been referred to as a “dark night of the soul”. Sometimes Evangelicals should be better aware that the faith journey isn’t always a climb up sunshine mountain. We may still be thankful, but sometimes we are spiritually in a time where God seems silent. To offer some help, I’ve written about it here:

    http://wp.me/pri9O-20
    .-= Lisa Colón DeLay´s last blog ..Whacky Wednesday Groovy Girls of Faith- OTHER Stuff Christians Like =-.

  • Reply The Dangers of Complicating Christmas | Faith Barista December 2, 2010 at 3:21 am

    […] the in-between time.   It’s exciting to know things are changing, but it’s more exciting to know that God […]

  • Reply Marisol Perry December 21, 2010 at 6:05 pm

    Dear Laurel, I have two little ones, I can’t imagine a dozen! 🙂 It takes amazing courage and strength for what you are doing. Your waiting is forging a great gift in your children — yourself and God’s care. Thank you for sharing your story of faith. You are doing the work that counts! The Lord sees. He will bring fruit.

  • Reply Your One Word For 2011 Matters (Soul Resolutions) | Faith Barista January 12, 2011 at 1:23 am

    […] it beautiful — how we’re all so different and yet, we make up this In-Between Community of […]

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