Charlotte Gambill - The Miracle in the Middle: Finding Gods Voice in the Void

2015 Charlotte Gambill

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Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by W Publishing Group, an imprint of Thomas Nelson.

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Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.

Scripture quotations marked THE MESSAGE are taken from The Message. Copyright by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation. 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

ISBN 9780718011215 (eBook)

Library of Congress Control Number: 201593295

ISBN 9780849921988

15 16 17 18 19 RRD 6 5 4 3 2 1

CONTENTS

CHAPTER ELEVEN MIRACLE IN THE MIDDLE

ARE WE THERE YET?! IT WAS AN OVERLY DRAMATIC, AGITATED cry from the backseat of our rental vehicle as two bored and tired children decided they had had enough of being strapped like prisoners into their child seats. Earlier that day, assuming we were adequately prepared for the long day ahead, Steve and I had set off on a six-hour road trip to our vacation destination. We had packed snacks and games, and planned the bathroom stopsall to help make the journey successful and less stressful. Yet even with the worlds best planning there are eventualities you dont plan forscenarios that can range anywhere from exploding drink cartons to unexpected backseat wrestling matches.

We were no exception. What we thought would be a family bonding experience was fast becoming a scene from a disaster movie. What had previously pacified our little passengers now had little to no effect on them. They no longer cared to look at the pretty scenery passing by and did not want to play I Spy from the elevated vantage point their car seats provided them. And while my husbands out-of-tune and ambitious rendition of every Disney song in his limited repertoire wore thin, and one by one the backup supplies packed to ensure road-trip sanity fell short, we also ran out of the snacks that had previously bought us precious moments of silence. But the kiss of death was when the electronic devices we had put so much faith in to occupy our captive audience were each drained of their power. At that point, I knew exactly how they felt. Drained, and with my fuses about to blow, we started to look for some kind of sign from the freeway. We needed the golden arches, or even a Cracker Barrel, to save us as our desperate passengers rhythmic chant of Are we there yet? intensified. Why had we ever thought a road trip with two smallbut very mightychildren was a good formula for a relaxing family vacation? We had no clue.

THE INNER CHILD

In the same way, every one of us travels through life with an inner child in the backseatan impatient passenger that dwells within us as we travel our paths, pursuing the destinations we believe weve been called to discover. That inner child is all too often distracted by the seeming snails pace of our personal progress, or becomes bored by the monotonous scenery en route. We are frustrated by the testing terrain before us and often feel ill equipped to face the demands the journey may require. And though we may start out with high expectations, excited by the undiscovered potential that awaits us, we get stuck attempting to navigate problems more often than we find ourselves attaining promises. We end up exerting a lot of energy on unforeseen obstacles rather than enjoying the new horizons wed hoped for. Maybe on your journey your business is failing more than flourishing, or the relationship that held such potential has run into trouble. Maybe the road has become uncomfortable and caused you to feel isolated and alone. You may feel as if you have entered some kind of voida place where your spiritual GPS seems to have become disconnected, and you find yourself looking for any encouragement you can find to stick with your planned destination.

If you are currently spending more time searching for an exit ramp than enjoying the journey, this book is for you. I want to reengage the disengaged, encourage the discouraged, cheer on the faintheartedthose no longer convinced the dream is worth the commitment it demands. We have all been there, and it may even be that is where you find yourself right now. If so, can I reassure you that you are not alone? In fact, there are usually more of us in this muddled middle than those who have reached their dream destinations. This is why I am dedicating this book to you, my fellow traveler, because I want to strengthen your weary spirit and breathe hope into your soul. The dysfunction you are facing does not have to derail you and the future you still want to believe in is not out of reach, so do not stop reading now.

TEMPER TANTRUM

That day in the backseat of our car, our two children expressed their discontent loud and clear. You, however, may not be the type of person who gives such an audible voice to your frustration, yet your internal struggle is no less real. Though your Are we there yet? questioning of God may be silent to those around you, it rarely stops resonating inside you. It can become a repetitive echo in your soul. It can be evidenced by the change in your demeanor, as your enthusiasm for the journey lessens. Now your ebbing faith causes your once confident stride to be replaced by faltering footsteps. At this point, your own barrage of questions begins toward our Heavenly Father, as you seek assurance that this journey has an end destination in sight. It is often in this void that we think we need to hear Gods voice the most, and yet it can seem that it is here that He speaks the least. Just as when we, as parents, choose to not always respond to our childrens demands to stop the vehicle or pacify their boredom, God doesnt always answer us immediately.

WE ATTEMPT TO
FORCE WHAT GOD
HASNT ENDORSED.

If we leave this internal turmoil unaddressed, it can quickly intensify from a quiet complaint to a temper tantrum with God. At this point, without intervention, the impatient traveler is tempted to take matters into his or her own hands, often with disastrous results. We attempt to force what God hasnt endorsed or prematurely leave the route He has planned for us, thinking we will find a shortcut to a breakthrough by ourselves. (By the way, I have tried the shortcut and my advice is to not take it!)

CROSSROADS

I know what it is to lose your stride in certain seasons of life, when the road simply seems too long to endure. I have felt the frustration of the prolonged promise waiting to be fulfilled, and I have asked God many times Are we there yet? only to find no satisfactory answer to help me decide whether I should persevere or give in. The fact is we are all on a journey from where we are now to where we want to be. And in our eagerness to get there, we must remember that God never promised it would be easy. We werent given a fast pass to jump the part of the process we like the least. The journey of any dream, plan, and destiny will be filled with many highs and lows; it will take you from mountaintop to valley. The scenery may go from breathtaking to boring, but when we trust God with the process, every stage can be useful and instructive.