The Inbetween Spaces of Life

Last updated on: May 13, 2021 at 2:06 pm by Sherry Antonetti

The Inbetween Spaces of Life 2021-05-13T14:06:18-04:00 Sherry Antonetti

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

We’ve spent the past year or so in the inbetween state of Covid is ever present, and we don’t know when things will return to normal. As more and more people get vaccinated, we now start to return to sort of normal, with masks and social distancing where possible. What strikes me, is how busy we all long to be, and how quickly being busy becomes unbearable.

People drive faster than I remember, or I’ve become used to less traffic and less speed on the roads. Incidental conversations with strangers while going abuot the business of errands though we’re wearing masks, feels both comforting and strange. My spirit rejoices from the momentary connection, yes, someone acknowledges we exist! However, because we’ve spent a year plus rather cloistered, it leaves me oddly unnerved. We’ve lived in a world of almost complete functional conversation only with the outside world, so anything else feels almost too intimate.

My students felt I suspect the same way, until we allowed them to release all of the feelings of 2020 via poetry. It felt like an explosion of personality, flooding the virtual pages assigned with words. Over and over again, the message came through, there are so many things we hold in our hearts behind the masks. Burdened by all of these things, it’s a wonder we don’t howl at the world for going on when there’s so much that hurts in our lives. We’re all now equally agitated by the possiblity, that the world could stop, and how isolating that would be and has been, how much busy-ness has been a shield against the sharp edges of suffering. If we have no time to acknowledge the pain we hold, we can pretend we’re not in pain.

This past week, my mammogram required a biopsy. I’ll know the results either Friday or Monday. So I am in the inbetween of knowing I face Cancer, or rejoicing a cup has passed. The procedure nicked an artery, meaning I bled in the office for over fourty-five minutes, and again at home when the wound reopened. A trip to the ER in the ambulance and being bound like Mulan meant I spent the next two days mostly sleeping. Today, I am awake, and the minutes drag by as I wait for tomorrow or next week to know. The sleeping time made the wait easier than this inbetween time of not knowing. Waking hours, they lag.

My consolation? I know the prayers are already answered, that the answer whatever it is, is an offering, an opportunity for grace. This past year also, was an opportunity for grace, for time with family, for time with God. This past year offered time to discover, we’ve always worn masks, even if they weren’t made of cloth. We’ve always worried about letting other people know something about us, even if we thought we wanted to be known. We’ve always kept our distance socially, because to be proximate was to be vulnerable.

The only one who ever was socially not distant, was Christ. We’ve always worried how intimately He loves us, and how much He longs to be closer. If we want to really know, all we need recognize is, He’s closer than our cells, and longs to be ever closer to our souls. He’s in the inbetween spaces of our life, always asking to become more involved, more allowed in. He longs to take away our sufferings, our masks and our sins. He longs for us to long to have our hearts pierced by love.

Answered Prayers

Healing

Love in the little things

Waiting

Previous Post

May 8, 2021

Need to Grade, Edit and So I'm Cross Posting

Next Post

May 14, 2021 Hakuna Matata Theology vs. the Cross

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Advent Answered Prayers Blessed Mother Confirmation Devotion of the Sacred Heart Doctors of the Church Easter Family Humor family life Good Friday Growing up Healing Holy Spirit taps Lent Love in the little things Mary Undoer of Knots Not an Apologist Parenting Sacred Heart of Jesus Saint Therese of Lisieux Sin Small Success Saturday Teaching others and myself Uncategorized Waiting Writing Year of Saint Joseph

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz