During our Young Life International School Staff Conference, we learned a lot about "the land between". A land that we may travel through that is just heavy.
Emotionally, spiritually, physically.
Too heavy to bear alone.
The Lord had woven this theme into our time there and all of the staff there had recently or were currently experiencing "the land between". A time of trial, hardship, suffering. Much like the Israelites in the desert, where they wandered for 40 years after being freed from slavery in Egypt and before they entered the Promised Land. The desert is a hard place to wander.
At the end of our time there, we prayer walked on the beach. We were each given a small bottle to fill with sand - to represent the many deserts we have walked or are walking or will walk again. But we were also given a flower to stick in the bottle of sand, to remind us that all is not lost in the desert, in the land between. And that because of God's grace, beautiful things can still grow in suffering.
On mine, I wrote the words GRACE, PAIN, JOY, and HURT across the bottle, all connected by one line. To remind myself: these things are all connected. I cannot have one without the other. But on the top of the bottle, I also wrote the word HOPE. Because when I finally grasp this idea, this crazy notion of grace, pain, joy & hurt as one - hope springs up.
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