The In-Between: Embracing the Tension Between Now and the Next Big
Thing by Jeff Goins
We often spend inordinate amounts of time waiting for the
next big thing to happen in our lives, waiting for spectacular to show up and
in many cases he does not. Author Jeff
Goins points us out of that old conundrum that would posit meaning only as it
places us in momentous occasions and events.
In his new book, The In-Between: Embracing the Tension
Between Now and the Next Big Thing, Jeff embraces the tension
between what was once an exciting ride through life and the reality that life
is different now, reality is much more about waiting than it is about
anything. Jeff writes in the
Introduction, “We all want to live meaningful lives full of experiences we can
be proud of. We all want a great story
to tell our grandchildren. But many of
us fail to recognize that the best moments are the ones happening right now”
(17). The feeling of adventure, the
comic-book quality of life that exudes from the big screen is not the ordinary
lives for most of us, rather, the mundane activities of work, parenting, bills,
and relationships displays our existence.
Yet, these activities and relationships all involve waiting. Waiting in line for a driver’s license, a cup
of coffee, or at a grocery store can rile our patience. After spending some time in Spain seeking the
thrill of nightlife in Seville and cross-cultural relationships, Jeff writes, “Life’s
mundane moments – ordinary times of TV-watching and breakfast-eating – can be
embrace as a slow, deliberate, beautiful way of life if we pay attention and
see what’s really there” (39). Jeff
finally realized that time with Loli, the one who housed him in Spain, was more
important than an extravagant story in Seville.
With eight chapters, an introduction and conclusion, The In-Between
runs through parenthood, marriage, and school with brevity and rare
insight. The overall abiding theme is
that waiting, the time in-between the next big thing is often the greatest
opportunity to experience the best of life, including the growth of our faith
and strengthening of our relationships.
After touring with a band that eventually made it to Billings late into
the night, the members of the band were invited to the church to partake of
some donated food and to come back in the morning for some morning
worship. Jeff writes, “These were simple
people who wore flannel shirts and closed their shops before six o’clock on
weeknights. They didn’t follow the
latest trends in music or read cutting-edge literature on the relevance of rock
bands in churches. But they knew how to
love people” (73). Whether it’s Loli,
Ashley, or parishioner s in Billings, Jeff began to realize that what was right
in front of him was more powerful and lasting than any ecstatic or marvelous
experience out on the streets. It wasn’t
an event but people who made life full of love and meaning. This kind of waiting for the right moment or
story to go back and tell your friends blinds us to the beauty of others right
in front of others, even when they are screaming for our attention. This truth connects to our faith as well, with
so many Christians looking for the next big mission trip or conference to
produce a spiritual experience, thereby missing the constant strength of our
relationships with our brothers and sister in Christ in our own locale.
Thanks to Christian Audio also for the audio version of this
book. The audiobook was beautifully read
by Jeff, not often do we get the very author’s voice reading his own work. The pace with which Jeff read his book was
beneficial for me, considering that sometimes a faster pace leaves me in the
dust. Overall, I was very pleased that
the very point of the book to slow down and resonate with the time in-between
was applied by the very author who read the book. I would even recommend that by listening to
this book you will be able to digest its contents even better.
My only criticism is that I wonder how this point of
reveling in the in-between and learning to wait applies to the church and the
Christian faith in a more concrete manner.
The stories were definitely a help in seeing how we might look at life
differently but I wonder what could be said of the church also.
Thanks to Cross Focused Reviews, Moody Collective, and
Christian Audio for the paper and audio copy of this book in exchange for
review.
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