A Contemplative Practice for In-Between Seasons
On Transition, Change & Uncertainty
Some seasons are not beginnings or endings — they are the space between. You stand in a threshold, no longer where you were but not yet where you are going. This in-between place has its own geography, its own rules. This practice is for dwelling faithfully in that liminal space.
In-between seasons feel endless because they have no clear markers. You cannot track progress when you do not know the destination. The only certainty is that you are not there yet.
This contemplative practice does not rush the threshold. It invites you to be present where you are, even when where you are is nowhere.
What the In-Between Feels Like
Liminal spaces have a distinctive quality — neither here nor there, suspended between what was and what will be.
- The old has ended but the new has not begun
- You cannot go back but do not know how to go forward
- Time seems both frozen and racing
- Identity feels unclear — you are between selves
- Normal life continues but feels unreal
- Waiting without knowing what you are waiting for
If you recognize this experience, you are in a threshold. These are sacred spaces, even when they feel like prisons.
The Holiness of Thresholds
Scripture is full of in-between times. The Israelites wandered forty years between slavery and promise. Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness between his baptism and ministry. Holy Saturday sits between death and resurrection. God seems particularly present in thresholds.
The in-between is not wasted time. Something is happening even when you cannot see it.
A Practice for Threshold Times
This contemplative practice invites presence without resolution.
Lord of thresholds, I stand between. The old season has ended. The new has not yet begun. I am in the space between — the nowhere place, the waiting room of my life. I cannot go back. I cannot see forward. I can only be here, in this suspended moment. Meet me in the in-between. You who dwelt in Holy Saturday, you understand thresholds. You who led Israel through wilderness, you know the geography of between. Let me not rush through this space. Let me find You here, in the liminal. Let whatever needs to form, form. Let whatever needs to die, die. And when the time comes to cross the threshold, let me recognize the door.
After the practice, stay in the threshold a moment longer. Do not rush to the next thing. Let the in-between teach you patience.
Dwelling in the Threshold
When you are in an in-between season, these approaches may help you dwell there faithfully.
- Release the demand to know what comes next
- Find rhythms that sustain you in waiting
- Notice what is forming without forcing it
- Trust that thresholds are meant to be crossed, eventually
- Let the in-between shape you rather than just endure it
- Remember that God meets us in liminal spaces
In-between seasons end. The threshold eventually opens. Until then, the practice is presence — being where you are even when where you are is nowhere certain.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do in-between seasons last?
There is no standard duration. Some thresholds are weeks, some are years. The length often depends on what needs to be processed or formed before the next season can begin. Trying to rush typically does not work.
Is the in-between wasted time?
It rarely is, even when it feels that way. In-between seasons often do important work — processing grief, preparing for what's next, allowing transformation that cannot happen while you're busy. What looks like nothing may be everything.
How do I know when the in-between is ending?
Often you only recognize it in retrospect. But signs include: clarity emerging, energy returning, doors beginning to open, a sense that movement is possible again. The ending often comes gradually rather than all at once.
What if I am afraid of what comes after the threshold?
Fear of the next season is common. The in-between, for all its discomfort, feels safe because it demands nothing new. Acknowledging the fear without letting it keep you frozen helps. The threshold will open when you are ready, even if you do not feel ready.
Related Reflections
- On the Space Between What Was and What Isn't Yet — Living in the gap.
- A Christian Meditation for the Space Between Chapters — The pause between stories.
- A Dreamweaving for Waiting Without Answers — Patience in uncertainty.
- Browse All Reflections — Find more quiet spaces for the searching soul.