The Sacred Space Between Ending and Beginning Anew
The New Year is on us, and with it comes anticipation, hopefulness, and expectation.
In the US, it’s customary to celebrate the end and the beginning by partying well, which seems to include decadent feasting, counting down the final moments for the ball drop in Times Square, shooting off fireworks and confetti, and, of course, sharing a kiss with one we love.
And, yet, in all the planning, the making merry, the gathering, and the festivities, do we simply gloss over the end, and blindly step into the beginning without truly sitting in that sacred space of the in-between?
Do we whole-heartedly enter the new, integrating what we’ve learned from the past, and opening our hands to receive what the Lord has in store for the future?
After every international retreat I attend as a speaker, the volunteer team meets to debrief with intentionality in that sacred space of in-between: between ending full days of ministry and jumping in anew back home.
Not only do we want to honor the days we’ve spent pouring into women who serve the Lord globally, but we want to acknowledge what God has done during our time together, express thanks for the good, let go of some of the hard things we’ve had to process through, and give voice to all we have learned as we leave.
There is no question that every single one of us, whether administrators, staff, or volunteers leave changed, and that will affect our going forward.
We want to answer with specifics the question we are so often tagged with on our return, “So, how was the trip?”
We don’t want to just answer flippantly, but significantly respond in such a way that our service and God’s work is well depicted.
And, so we meet corporately to identify these things – we discuss the things we are thankful for, list the ways we saw God act, place sticky notes all over the walls with adjectives to describe the full days, as well as list emotions we felt.
From these little activities, we begin to verbalize what stood out as we bring a very busy, highly emotional, and God-blessed time to a close.
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Perhaps we could all do with a little more intentionality, and incorporate some type of healthy spiritual rhythm, as we process ending the old year and beginning anew.
Behind us lie moments of joy and sorrow, steadfastness and fatigue – a mixture of good and bad.
Through it all, there have been lessons learned, character formed, accomplishments achieved, and personal growth.
Ahead of us is a story still to be written.
God wants to meet us in the sacred in-between.
So, let’s not rush past the past – because He’s inviting us to examine it; learn from it; identify what was hard in the midst, releasing it into His care; and to open our hands to receive what He has planned for tomorrow.
Let’s honor 2025 and answer, with true reflection, the question, “How was the year?”
Scripture reminds us that remembering and releasing often go together:
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits (Psalm 103:2).
Gratitude grounds us, even when things have been HARD!
In that holy place of in-between, I feel like the Lord is inviting us to take some time to show appreciation for what He’s given, how He’s sustained, and how He showed up—sometimes quietly, sometimes powerfully.
How to? Start with going back over the year to make a list of those things for which we’re thankful.
But, we are also invited to let go.
Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7).
What cannot be fixed, explained, or redone does not have to be carried forward.
God is not asking us to deny the past—only to stop letting it define us.
As we fix our eyes upon a new year, we must not do so with pressure to perform, but with a trust in God’s love for us.
Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed… great is Your faithfulness. His mercies are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22–23, emphasis mine).
New beginnings are not built on our resolve, but on God’s mercy; His zeal that is EVER FOR US!
How to? Perhaps take some time to write out a prayer of dependence on the Lord for 2026…
We have no clue what the New Year will hold, but in ending well, reflecting, remembering with gratitude, releasing what we can’t change, we can mark the transition into the new with a heart of RECEPTION for the remainder of the story God wants to write in 2026.
“The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me”(Psalm 138:8).
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So, here are a few questions I’ve jotted down that might help us through this process:
What words describe 2025 (for example: peace-filled, courage-building, rooted, worrisome)? What word(s) do I want to assimilate into 2026?
What did the past year teach me that I want to continue to build on? How have I changed in the past year?
What small mercies carried me through when I needed them? Have I properly shown gratitude for those things?
What am I holding onto from the past year that I can’t change, but need to let go of and place in the Lord’s care?
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Let’s enter into the SACRED in-between and find our hearts settled with a brand new God-confidence for 2026.
Happy New Year!
