Piling plates high with carbohydrates and yelling, “mangia bene” was the closest thing to implementing my short-lived dream of speaking Italian. The course and CD series I spent a fortune on taught me several phrases I’ll never use like, mi genitori sono divorzati per due anni or po and piccolo. I’m positive I’ll never have to tell someone my parents have been divorced for two years, or describe the difference between small and little, but in case I do, I’m grateful I studied Italian.
In attempts to immerse myself into the language and culture of Italy, I began to learn the regional foods and fall in love with cooking. My Italian art history professor described how food is directly tied to the essence of all Italians. “Food is love and love is food,” she said over a bowl of pasta in Florence. Grabbing her glass of red wine and swirling it around in content satisfaction, she asked me in Italian if I was dating anyone one. Ancora no, profesora, I replied. Ancora no.
I don’t remember much Italian, but the simple phrase ancora no, is forever seared into my memory. I heard it many times on Roman roads, Florentine sidewalks, and Venetian canals. Ancora no, a woman would reply to a friend. Ancora no, a man would stearnly tell a pushy street vendor. Ancora no I would say in my head when asked if I had found a man. No, not yet. Ancora no.
She twirled her noodles around her fork and said, “When you learn how to cook, you will know how to love.” And with that sage advice, she continued to swirl her pasta and sip her wine.
I call this place the Land In Between. The Israelites left Egypt with the hope of reaching the Promise Land… but there was the land in between. The place of death. The place of pain. The place of joy. The place of promise. Yes, it was the land in between where they are and where they want to be.
I want to know what is your land in between. I want to know what you have to say acora no to. I want to know what your Promise Land is and where you are.
I’m working on the summer series and would really love to know if me and the exiled Israelites are the only ones asking, Are we there yet?! And in true biblical form, Moses would reply, Acora no, ancora no.
My in between land is working full time and going to school part time. It is hard seeing all my friends from high school graduating and getting started on a career. I am an only child who grew up with a single mother…who worked hard to give me everything… but I never had the luxury of being able to emerse myself into college full time because I had to now work for blessings God has provided for me. This journey has humbled me and victory will be great when I walk across that stage with degree in hand …saying yes now I do have it.
Keep on it girl! I was in a similar situation and it felt like it took forever to get my degree, but it is so worth it. It's an achievement that no one can take away from you. God is faithful!
God is Faithful… and he gives us encouragement though others… aka…you! thank u!
uuuh Bianca! I wish I knew what my Promised Land looks like. I'm really trying to figure that out. But, then again I get so stressed trying to figure it out, that I'm not trying to figure it out! Wow-so confusing! 😉 Here's what I know–I believe that there's seeds of possibilities in me to help people connect the idea that serving/giving locally has an effect globally for God's Kingdom. I want so bad to tie the global and local aspects of church/ministry/serving together. I want to play apart in both. But, I don't know what they looks like. Right now, I'm working on the local side. I appreciate the opportunity I've been given. I know it's the Lord, but I know it's not all there is. I wanna GO!
I'm with Haley. I appreciate where I'm at but I know it's not where I want to be or stay, but I can't define where I want to be. It mainly has to do with my job and moving out.
My promised land looks like….feeling confident that I am walking in God's plan for me, knowing what my next step is and boldly going there, finding a partner for this journey.
And a question…do we ever truly arrive in this life?
"feeling confident that I am walking in God's plan for me, knowing what my next step is and boldly going there, finding a partner for this journey. "
Love.
Someone please smack me! I keep seeking God for an answer as to how to love or begin to love an “unloveable” person who is mean, ignores me, talks behind my back, etc.. I hear it.. love her, wich means I will be in the land of inbetween where there’s pain, self denial, self sacrifice, humility.. and truth be told I DON’T WANT TO… I don’t want to.. So smack me or pray for me… I don’t like being or feeling this way but it is wha it is.. So help! :/
Praying for you Norma. It's a tough road of forgiveness and love that I am on as well. There are years of a bad history between myself and my mother, but God is gently and consistently reminding me that I have to forgive. I've gotten past the not wanting to, but now it's on to the tricky "how to" phase.
Oh, BB. How I adore you and your questions… I feel like I've been in The Land of In Between for, like, EVER. And it feels like I keep getting real close to the edge just to watch it get pushed back out of reach once again. HOWEVER (and I'm so glad God gives us HOWEVERS), I know that it's coming. My time to do all the things that make me tick is right around the corner.
So, my Right Now is a life focused on my beautiful son and amazing husband and working to meet the needs of my family. My Soon To Be Promise Land has something to do with working in the college sports world in a community relations type o'gig. And I can feel it … it's almost here!! {I HEART YOU!}
You're not alone!
And I absolutely adore your professor's quote “When you learn how to cook, you will know how to love.” That will stay with me!!! Thank you for sharing! xo
I am definitely in the "land in between." It's not the worst place in my life, and there are many good things about it, but it's definitely not the Promised Land. I have a job at my church (and I LOVE my church) where I work too hard for not enough money. I'm a college grad, working full time in a church, and I have to use food stamps to buy meals. Also, I'm ready to be in a relationship, moving towards getting married. But, alas, I have never even dated anyone. I'm waiting. Waiting on that good job. Waiting on someone to ask me out – to pursue me. Waiting to live in an apartment with central heat and a/c. Waiting to get rid of the crappy college furniture. Waiting, waiting, waiting.
My mom, being the Mexican American mother that she is… told me when I know how to cook, than I can get married so it's not just your professor lol My Land in between…right now..it's the time in life where I am supposed to be learning to be dependent on God, read and pray daily, and totally dive into the Word. But in all honesty, I'm not doing that at all!! I'm one of those "okay-God-you-have-5-minutes-to-answer-my-prayer!" type of people so God is using this time…this time of being stuck in the desert WITHOUT water to trust and fall in love with Him completely.
BTW TOTALLY going to your summer series this summer..gahhhh so excited!!!!! 😉
Thank you for always being open and sharing what's on your heart…always such a timely word!
I'm with Annie. I feel like I've been in the land of in between for so long.
My right now is being the best wife and mother I can be (sometimes that's more than I can manage!) and working in a job I don't particularly enjoy to help provide for my family.
My promise land (I believe) is something to do with connecting women and girls with their creator and showing them how precious and valuable they are and restoring self image and identity.
Oh, and my husband's a great cook…and he loves good too!
I'm I there yet? I can't answer this question because I don 't even know where I'm going. I"m living day by day asking God what he wants of me and hope my love for Him doesn't dissapear like the morning dew but to grow and understand His will. I've giving up dreaming of a promise land because when I do it's filled with things of this world that won't last and only gives an instant of happiness.
See you wednesday. 🙂
yeah i don't like the land in between and would definitely like an exit ramp from these laps i seem to be doing in the desert! my promised land…looks like living in africa with my man (who i'm still skeptical exists…) doing ministry and life together and loving on babies and kiddos both mine and others.
Living in the in-between, in the tension, where we learn to love and learn to grow and become prepared for the life in the Promised Land. I haven't always enjoyed my time here, but I've recently learned to settle in, hunker down and allow myself to be pruned so when it's harvest time, I'll be ready. For that I am thankful. For the mistakes I've made and the lessons I've learned I am thankful.
I've caught a glimpse of my Promised Land. A place in my dreams, I believe, truly given to me by God himself. Seriously having dreams about where I'm supposed to be heading in this crazy life, and to say that I'm excited would be an understatement!
Yes exactly!!! I was thinking in the same lines with you…I've been unemployed twice and the book of Joshua along with a Beth Moore study called Believing God had helped me to keep going and not just stay at the Jordan but strive to see my promise land. And rather see my life through with God having gone before me curious to see what He has for me on the other side…I'm too far in to give up or turn back I have a need now to wait and see what more God has for my life! I'm now working in what I believe to be my calling and mission field (HS teacher!) I never would have taken that path had I not been "in the land in between" forced to examine and make choices I was too afraid to make while in my comfort zone. Praise God He is so patient with us to get us ready to cross our Jordan! =)
"I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living.
Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!" Ps 27:13-14
yes…i do often ask "are we there yet?" And i do feel like i am in the "in between", but part of me feels like I stay here because I won't listen…and also don't know what my promised land looks like…i guess i just want to be at a place where i know my relationship with God is right and I am doing what He wants me to do…and be okay with it because my desires are the same as His…
I've learned there are always going to be the inbetween times, because they are times when we look forward and can't see the path ahead, what the Lord has for our lives.
And it is SO easy to be unhappy with where we are at, and I think its okay to want more. But in the many inbetween times I've had, it has only been when I make the choice to be content with where I'm at, trust that God is working and has more on the way, and make the most of the situation I'm in, that the Lord says "okay, now we can move forward".
I LOVE George Matheson on Hebrews 12:1. He describes this inbetween time as running with patience, "a waiting for the goal, and a doing of the lesser work in the meantime."
We're all waiting for that big thing to happen whether its finding a husband, starting a career, being sent out to the missions field, but ANY quiet or waiting time that we have IS preparation for the rest of our lives, it is a time to enjoy the presence of our Father without the multitude of distractions, or to use the things that keep our lives busy to learn to be more like Christ. Learn to represent Him better in our words, actions, in our love.
My land in between is mourning the loss of my best friend, looking ahead to where life feels normal again.
We've been walking in the dessert (the in-between place) for nearly 4 years. 4 very loooong years. We have faced crisis after crisis after crisis … storm after storm after storm … in this dessert.
I am beginning to lose hope that we will ever reach the promised land. Seriously.
I KNOW that the Lord is with us in the dessert. I KNOW He is walking through each trial with us. I know that He is teaching us through each storm. However … I am beginning to lose faith that we will reach the promised land … the land flowing with milk and honey.
What do we believe our Promised Land will look like?
a job for my husband
friends to "do" life with (this has been the loneliest 4 years of our life)
a church that we can do ministry in
a place where we can just "be", without continually feeling judged
Life "in the dessert" has been HARD. I feel like I'm at the end of my proverbial rope, and I just need a place of rest … a place to be ministered to … a place where I feel loved and accepted …
Thanks for continuing to ask the thought-provoking questions.
Hope you week is BLESSED!
Mama D.
I'm in the in-between land of designing my job, so to speak. I'm going to launch a nursing mission at my church and we are in the planning stages. I know the JOB is there but it hasn't officially started. I'm hunting & gathering info, praying always, learning how to operate in the overflow. I want it to hurry up and be time to launch, but then again once we go there's no turning back! There have been some serious trials that have molded me into the person I am now, all of them played a part in me getting to this point so I can't begrudge the trials. I like having a name for this season! It IS my land in between, but I'm not sorry to be here.
land in between…..finding someone to spend my life with. now i am alone but it wont be forever. im on my journey.
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My promised land: accepting the grace of Jesus and living in it. My promised land is NOT a husband, a father, a job, a house, clothes, or even Portugal. I often allow myself to believe it is and then I act shocked when I realize that those things cannot and will not satisfy me. Jesus please give me grace to trust You and to say "Yes!" when You ask me if I want to be healed.
Where I am now: legalism and trying to hold on to the hurt and the junk of the past. Walking around the miry pit of doubt, fear, and unwilling to forgive and forget. I'm too afraid to let myself be loved by Jesus or anyone else because it's terrifying… I don't understand it. It's the other stuff that I'm comfortable with.
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