I held the book in my hands, one that I had read hundreds of times it seemed. I was exhausted. I could hardly keep my own eyes open, and her big brown ones had, much to my relief, finally closed. I was ready to be done and go to bed myself, but I knew it was a delicate matter with a toddler who was so in love with books. I was careful and kept reading even after her eyes had closed. Then I did it. I flipped ahead, but I kept on right on going just like nothing had happened. Quick as a flash, those big brown eyes opened right back up and said, “Mommy you missed the middle!” She was not about to let me leave out part of her favorite bedtime story, so I gave in and turned back to read the parts I’d missed. And the long night-time ritual continued.
It’s a lot like that in life. We live in the middle, and sometimes it’s messy and complicated. The thing is, if we skip any part of what God has designed for us, our story just won’t be the same. Arriving at the end without experiencing the middle would change everything, especially the ending, which is so connected to what happens in the in-between.
Click below to read more and find encouragement in the pages of God’s Word.