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Somehow, in the blink of an eye, Christmas for 2025 has come and gone. Christmas trees have gone out with the trash, the kids are more interested in the boxes the toys came in than the toys themselves, and adults are back to the races at their jobs. A beautiful winter snow might grace us with its presence, but the hustle and bustle has only quickened. And just in time for another holiday in just under a week—New Year’s Eve.
Like a local Hobby Lobby store, it feels like Christmas and New Year’s are over before the full season even takes place. Behind the scenes, however, we feel a mirage of emotions. Maybe for some, we’re letdown, and frustrated. Sad or envious. For others, fatigue, burnout, and the longing for time and space to rest, recharge, and reflect set in. Digging at our heels is a cultural pressure to rush into “next” before we’ve fully recovered from one season.
As we prepare for 2026, I’ve felt that it’s important to recognize the beauty and value of the in-between. And not just the week between Christmas and New Year’s, but the spaces in our lives that beg for reflection, but we rarely give the time. Because, like the 7 days between these two holidays, we can feel relief mixed with sadness. The build up to Christmas is monumental, and when it doesn’t meet expectations, it can be depressing. But even when it does, it feels like the special day is here one moment and gone the next (and in some ways it is). But what if we learned to see these spaces of unfinished grief and unanswered prayers as invitations? Invitations to sit with the fear and hope coexisting? What would coexist in your life?
Because what if God works just as powerfully in the in-between as He does in the milestones?
Bible Examples of Sacred Waiting
In the Scriptures, we see many stories of waiting and co-existence. We see spaces where people are joyful and mourning at once. Just this morning, for instance, I was reading about the Temple being rebuilt in the book of Ezra. At the end of chapter 3, however, the author pens these beautifully compelling, yet heartbreaking words:
“When the builders completed the foundation of the Lord’s Temple, the priests put on their robes and took their places to blow their trumpets. And the Levites, descendants of Asaph, clashed their cymbals to praise the Lord, just as King David had prescribed. With praise and thanks, they sang this song to the Lord: “He is so good! His faithful love for Israel endures forever!” Then all the people gave a great shout, praising the Lord because the foundation of the Lord’s Temple had been laid. But many of the older priests, Levites, and other leaders who had seen the first Temple wept aloud when they saw the new Temple’s foundation. The others, however, were shouting for joy. The joyful shouting and weeping mingled together in a loud noise that could be heard far in the distance” (Ezra 3:10-12, NLT).
Did you catch it? The people were shouting for joy and weeping together in a loud noise that could be heard from far away. Imagine what this sounded like. It would be like attending a funeral and a wedding at once. But the beauty of the Scripture is this: two things can be true at once, and it’s not only possible, but healthy to process in this way.
Another example comes from Israel’s journey in the book of Exodus between Egypt and the Promised Land. For 400 years, the prophecy spoken in Genesis 15:13 was fulfilled. Imagine being in the waiting room for that long.
Finally, think about Jesus in the tomb after His death but before His resurrection. Though He told His Disciples He was coming back, they still doubted. They wondered, “Where is He?” “Is His promise going to stay true?”
The words in Psalm 27:14 remind all of us to wait for the Lord. And that’s what each of these stories illustrates. Some waited more patiently than others. Some interfered when they shouldn’t have. Some didn’t. But we can learn a lesson from history: “Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD” (NIV). And this is good news because God’s presence is with us in every season, but especially those of waiting or transition.