Finding Joy in the In-Between

I stood in our small storage unit and felt a strange mix of relief and emotion rising in my chest. The boxes were stacked neatly, taped shut — most of them labeled, each one quietly hiding little pieces of us. Favorite books. My children’s toys. The wooden rocking chair, the one where I had spent countless nights rocking my babies to sleep. Decorations and small things I use to make wherever we reside feel like “home.”

It was not the stuff itself that brought tears to my eyes. It was what this space represented. This was not just a place to keep our belongings; it was a symbol of what lay ahead. We were stepping into a new season — one full of unknowns. One full of waiting. One that did not have an end date.

We were walking into the in-between.

We closed the door gently, not knowing exactly when we would open it again.

This was not going to be our first big move; as a matter of fact, this would mark our third international move, but it was emotionally layered in ways I had not expected.

After six years of life and ministry in Mexico, we had returned to the States. My husband had accepted a pastoral position, and we honestly thought our long-term future would be here. We unpacked, tried our best to plant roots and reconnect with family and friends, and began adjusting to a culture that felt somewhat familiar but somehow no longer felt fully ours anymore.

Then, just 15 months later, the Lord stirred our hearts again.

Doors opened and miracles happened. The call to return to Mexico became undeniable.

We were SO excited and ready … but going back was not going to be simple.

We needed to raise support — again. We needed to travel and fundraise all over again.

There was no set date, though we had a “loose timeline in our heads.” No certainty.

The In-Between Season

There is something especially tender and terribly vulnerable about living between places, especially when you have children.

My children were thrilled when we told them we were going back to Mexico. Especially my oldest — she remembers the streets, the food, the people, our friends, and the rhythms of daily life there.

My children asked about their favorite taco stands, special friends, and the places we used to visit. But then came the harder questions: “When are we actually going? Where are we staying until then? Where is our next trip? Can we go back to our old house? Do we need to find a new house? Can we just go to Mexico now?”

I do not always have the answers, and honestly, I was asking some of the same questions in my own heart.

We are in a strange space; not settled in the States, but not yet returned to Mexico. Not fully “here,” and not quite “there.” We are living in the in-between. This is not a place people talk about often, but I believe many TCKs know it all too well.

The waiting room between seasons. The hallway between doors. The ache of not knowing what to call “home.” The tension of being excited and unsettled at the same time.

God Showed Up in a Whisper

One afternoon, I was folding laundry in a borrowed mission house. Nothing special. Nothing glamorous. But in that quiet, ordinary moment, the Lord whispered something into my heart that I will never forget. “You can have joy here too; you can find joy in the in-between.” Not just when we are back in the place we love. Not just when we have a departure date. Not just when the suitcases are unpacked for good.

No, God was inviting me to choose joy now. In the borrowed spaces. In the long car rides. In the fundraising, meetings, and temporary beds. In the in-between, true joy could be found.

What If This Place Is Holy Too?

The world celebrates clarity. Arrival. Completion. It applauds the ones who “have it all figured out.”

But God often does some of His best work in the middle.

The in-between may not look like progress to the world, but in the eyes of God, it is often where faith is forged, character is shaped, and hearts learn to cling to Him.

Throughout Scripture, we see a pattern: God does not just meet people at the finish line — He meets them in the process.

The Israelites did not meet Him only in Canaan; they saw His power and presence in the wilderness. Manna fell from heaven. A pillar of cloud led them by day, and a pillar of fire led them by night. Their sandals did not wear out. Their God never left.

Joseph did not discover God’s purpose only when he became ruler of Egypt. He found God’s presence in the pit, in slavery, and even in a prison cell. Forgotten by men, but not by God.

Paul wrote Spirit-breathed letters from behind bars. He even sang songs of praise from that place in prison. I would say Jesus definitely met him there!

Most importantly, Jesus, our Savior, did not just come for our eternal future. He stepped into our present pain. He left heaven to dwell among us, right in the middle of our broken world. He walked dusty roads, sat with the lonely, wept with the grieving, and touched the outcast. He lived His entire earthly life in the “already and not yet” — fully divine, yet wrapped in human flesh.

Jesus understands.

Jesus knows and understands the hard place of being between two worlds. Just the knowledge of that can bring peace and joy to our hearts.

And because He understands, He draws near. 

“For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities”
Hebrews 4:15 KJV

“Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.”
Matthew 28:20 KJV

The psalmist said, “If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.” Psalm 139:9–10 KJV

To Those in the In-Between

Jesus sees you. You are not alone.

There are others who understand what it means to be between worlds.

I have seen the quiet grief behind my children’s brave smiles. I have heard my daughter try to explain where she’s “from.” I have seen my toddler light up at the mention of “home,” even when he doesn’t know quite where that is anymore.

The in-between can feel lonely. But joy can be found there too … because He is there. You are not lost. You are deeply known and fully loved.

Remember this: Hard is hard, but hard is not always bad.

And joy? It does not come from a place. It comes from a Person.

And His name is JESUS.

“The joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10 KJV

“Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy…” Psalm 16:11 KJV

Still in the In-Between

As I write this, we are still not “there.” We are still raising support. Still traveling.

Still trusting. Still learning to find joy in the in-between.

We have started calling this season “Fundraising 2.0” (which makes me laugh and want to cry all at the same time).

But even here, we are asking Him to help us choose the kind of joy only He can give.

And every time one of my kids asks, “When are we going back to Mexico, Mama?”

I smile, and I answer, “Soon, sweetheart. But for now … we are going to find joy, right here.”

“God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.”
— John Piper