“In the Meantime” by Toya Poplar
In the Meantime
Have you ever known that it was time to give a relationship a breather but you weren’t quite sure how to behave during the break? Whether it’s with family, a church member, love interest, or a friend, we all go through readjustment periods. And sometimes it’s hard to know what to do in the meantime.
“What am I doing in the meantime, Lord?
Hoping, that’s what I’m doing—hoping
You’ll save me from a rebel life,
save me from the contempt of dunces.
I’ll say no more, I’ll shut my mouth,
since you, Lord, are behind all this.
But I can’t take it much longer.
When you put us through the fire
to purge us from our sin,
our dearest idols go up in smoke.
Are we also nothing but smoke?”
Psalm 39:7-11 (The Message)
“The Meantime”
The meantime can be a mean time when question marks come and words don’t rhyme.
When motives can be misunderstood and good is called evil and evil is called good.
The meantime is not for contamination. It is a time for self-examination.
The meantime should be a time of hope in which both parties learn to cope.
The meantime can often feel like hell until time spent with Emmanuel, God with us, our present help.
The One who knows the cards we’re dealt. The One who makes it all make sense.
The One who is our recompense. The One who is the Author of time itself. The One who cares about our mental health. The One who can redeem the time. The One who reminds us that “Love is kind.”
The One who says, “Do not fight.” The One who makes wrong things right.
The One who says, “You’re not condemned.” And grants us grace to forgive.
Sometimes the meantime can be filled with countless questions. Other times we can begin to assassinate people’s character in our minds or with our words. Even though the meantime should be a time in which we learn to be still and become more closely acquainted with God, it can often be a time in which we feel forsaken. God knows us well and has a wonderful way of working things together for our good if we turn to Him and not to man. There’s a Proverb that says, “Whoever forgives an offense seeks love, but whoever keeps bringing up the issue separates the closest of friends.”
(17:9, God’s Word Translation)
The meantime is not a time in which you have to defend yourself. And even though you may start to feel as though cultivating that newly strained relationship was a waste of time, it wasn’t. The lessons you learned and are learning are invaluable. God is sovereign and He knew where you would be and what you would be walking through this very moment. He cares about you and the other person so dearly that His word offers you the exact same directives.
The LORD shall fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.
Exodus 14:14 (American King James Version)
That person is not your enemy because you don’t fight against flesh and blood. Remember, “Love is patient; love is kind. Love isn’t envious, doesn’t boast, brag, or strut about. There’s no arrogance in love; it’s never rude, crude, or indecent—it’s not self-absorbed. Love isn’t easily upset. Love doesn’t tally wrongs or celebrate injustice; but truth—yes, truth—is love’s delight! Love puts up with anything and everything that comes along; it trusts, hopes, and endures no matter what.”
I Corinthians 13:4-7 (The Voice)
God can and will cause all things to work together for your good and ultimately His glory. The meantime is like a time out. It’s the perfect time to work on your character. It can be a time of reflection or conviction but it should not be a time for condemnation. Stop condemning yourself and resist the urge to condemn the other person. The meantime doesn’t have to be a mean time. It can be what you make it. Make the most of the meantime by “counting it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” In the meantime.
“Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.”
James 1:2-8 (The Message)
Meet Toya. Author. Speaker. Lover of lipstick.
Toya is married to her best friend and high school sweetheart Melvin Poplar. They are the proud parents of six of the coolest kids in the cul de sac. Toya is the author of the Amazon Best-Selling journal, Stop Write There. She is a community advocate who promotes racial reconciliation through hosting bi-monthly diversity dinners. A Michigan girl in an Alabama world, Toya gives creatives permission to start, and the courage to finish, their creative ideas.
If you would like to find out more about what you can do in the meantime join Toya and her Save Our Sons (S.O.S.) dream team on February 13, at The Cooper House Downtown. February’s theme is Soul Food. Bring a dish and come prepared to receive wisdom for your soul. The fun starts at 6:30 PM
To R.S.V.P. send an email to saveoursonshuntsville@gmail.com
405 Randolph Ave SE, HSV, AL 35801. S.O.S. Diversity Dinners are free and open to the public.
To find out more visit:
https://www.saveoursonshuntsville.com
If you, like Toya, enjoy “neighborly” conversations and would like to go from awareness to action register today for the February 20th 2018 C4 conference. This year’s theme is “Who is My Neighbor?”
Register for Cornerstone’s C4 Conference today!
Meantime Scripture Meditation
Psalm 39:7-11
Romans 8:28
Romans 8:1
James 1:2-8
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