As we approach the second half of the year, let us reflect on Ephesians 3:14-20. I pray we remain rooted in love—for ourselves and for others—standing firm in faith, led by God’s Spirit, and energized by His power as we bring Him glory through our words and actions. No matter the challenge, crisis, or storm, each day—as Christ followers—in every human interaction, we have the opportunity to be a light in the darkness.

“Just rest in the Lord,” my best friend mumbled into her coffee cup as she scooted out of her chair to leave the cafe. I had just confided in her about a situation at work that was worrying me. It felt good to vent to a trusted friend, and as I gathered my belongings to follow her out, I felt better cathartically, superficially, but did I really feel better?

These in-between seasons can be difficult—the ones that fall between hope and heartbreak, between praying and receiving, between holding on and letting go. You’re no longer where you were, but not yet where you hoped to be. And your heart feels caught somewhere between striving and surrender. This is where I’ve been lately. Maybe you can relate.

“I just never have enough time to spend with the Lord. I work forty-plus hours a week, commute ninety minutes both ways, oversee elderly parents’ affairs, and take care of my five-year-old son. I’m either on the road, at my desk, or taking care of someone else’s needs. And on top of that, I never feel like I’m doing any of it well. What does God want from me in the middle of all this madness? How can I carve out time for Him? I feel like I’m constantly failing Him!”

She wasn’t wrong. It wasn’t beautiful. The vines looked stripped and sparse. Piles of leafy cuttings lay in brittle heaps at their feet. Every twist, every wire, every bare stem was exposed. And in that moment, the Holy Spirit whispered: This is what abiding looks like, too.