Liminality has been defined as the threshold of the betwixt or between phase or the middle of a rite of passage. Liminality is a new word to me, but I feel quite familiar with the geography and experience of it. I'd have to say that there seems to me to a great deal of "middle" space in life. There are times that I've looked at these middle spaces with contempt and frustration and occasionally, I've had the wisdom to live and be in that space that seems to be neither a beginning or end.
Truth be told, I think I'm more comfortable with beginnings and endings than I am the middle spaces. The beginnings are filled with expectation,excitement and hope. Endings (the good ones) are filled with a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction of reaching a goal. Ultimately though, the middle space is where the lions share of the journey takes place. The middle is where the excitement of a beginning takes shape and leads to the place of connection to each hope and dreams' fulfillment - the end.
There are lots of different individual feelings associated with the middle places. In light of the Sleeping with bread of life, I suppose that the middle place could be seen as the space and time for "raising". Without raising time, bread is not light - fluffy - and satisfying. Without the raising time - life would be flat and without depth. This analogy is one that challenges me to look at the middle spaces of life through a different lens. The resting, waiting, and raising times are necessary for the bread of life to reach it's full potential.
There's nothing as good smelling and tasting as fresh baked bread is there?
What are the spaces of "rising" for you? Are you able to simply rest in those times of liminality or do you want to get busy helping the raising process along. The only problem with touching bread while it's raising is that to falls flat and you have to wait for it to rise all over again. I think I'm beginning to understand that some things are intended to be hands-off - at least for a time.
Patience is a virtue, and one I'm not so good at living into - but just imagine the rich beautiful bread that will be produced, if I just trust God in my liminality by waiting - resting - and allowing it to rise high.
One more thought. We are not alone in the "rising" times - just like this video below states, " I'm stuck in the middle with you!"
G-d is with us in the "rising" time, beckoning us to leave the dough to rise on the stove and sit for a spell to rest with our loving Creator. We can look at this as being stuck or as being given time to grow and rest - knowing G-d is watching over the dough in the kitchen of life.
Let the bread rise...
Comments
I'd suggest that G-d stop using you as a messenger in my life, but I know what good that'd do me!
Stuck.
There's the word I used on my SWB.
Go figure.......