When You're Stuck in the Middle: God Isn't Finished With You Yet

Meta Description: Feeling not broken but not thriving either? Pastor Craig explores what God does when you're stuck in the middle of your healing journey. URL Slug: stuck-in-the-middle-god-isnt-finished Featured Image: A single person walking a path through a misty forest — not at the beginning, not at the end, but somewhere in the middle with light breaking through the trees ahead.

There's a place most of us have lived in but rarely talk about. You're not falling apart. But you're not fully thriving, either. You're just... in the middle.

This past Sunday, I spent time with this exact tension — and I believe God had something specific to say to every person sitting in it right now.

The Place We Don't Talk About Enough

We're pretty good in the church at speaking to the extremes. We know how to minister to someone who is completely broken. God is close to the brokenhearted. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. And we know how to celebrate the breakthrough. You can do all things through Christ who gives you strength. No weapon formed against you will prosper.

But what about the long stretch in between? What about when you're not in crisis, but you're still consistently discouraged? Not battling deep depression, but not really happy or thriving? Not desperate — but not at peace?

That's the middle. And I want you to know: you are not alone there, and God has not left you there.

A Story About Healing That Surprised Me

In Mark chapter 8, starting at verse 22, there's a story that I think was written for everyone stuck in the middle:

"They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man's eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, 'Do you see anything?' He looked up and said, 'I see people; they look like trees walking around.' Once more Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly." — Mark 8:22–25

What strikes me every time I read this is that Jesus healed this man in two stages. Not because the first touch failed. Not because something went wrong. But because sometimes healing is a process.

In John's gospel, there's another blind man Jesus heals with a single touch. Same Savior. Different process. And that tells me something important: God doesn't heal everyone the same way, on the same timeline.

You Need "Some People"

Notice something else in this story. Mark doesn't give us the names of the people who brought the blind man to Jesus. He just calls them some people. I think that's intentional.

Because it could be anybody. It could be you.

One of the enemy's oldest tactics is isolation. If he can disconnect you from the body of Christ, he can keep you discouraged. When you're isolated, the lies get louder. That's why I talk about this so often — we are not designed to walk through hard seasons alone.

I'll be honest with you. There was a season in my own life where I was hurting very privately. I was smiling on Sunday mornings and preaching with passion, but inside I was fighting a battle I was too proud — and too scared — to ask for help with. I thought, I'm the pastor. I'm not supposed to struggle. But the accumulation of years of pressure finally caught up with me.

Thank God for the people in my life who stepped in when I couldn't step forward myself. Because that's what "some people" do. They don't try to fix you or have all the answers. They just get you to Jesus.

If you're carrying someone right now — praying for a spouse, a child, a friend who's running from God — never underestimate what God can do when you simply bring someone to Jesus.

Partial Healing Is Not Failed Healing

When Jesus asked the blind man, "Do you see anything?" — the man answered honestly. He didn't exaggerate. He didn't tell Jesus what he thought Jesus wanted to hear. He said, "I see something, but it's not completely clear yet."

That's where a lot of us are. We've experienced the touch of God. Something real happened. But we're not all the way healed. And instead of calling it what it is — progress — we sometimes panic and assume something went wrong.

Nothing went wrong. Partial healing is not failed healing. It's healing in progress.

Maybe you haven't fully forgiven someone, but you want to forgive. That's progress. Maybe you still battle anxiety, but you know what to do with it now. That's progress. Maybe the negative thoughts still come, but you recognize them faster and you know how to replace them with truth. That's progress.

As Paul writes in Philippians 1:6:

"He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

He finishes what he starts.

Once More

The most powerful two words in this passage are "once more." Jesus touched this man once. Then he touched him again. Not because the first touch failed — but because the man needed more.

If Jesus touched you once and you experienced his presence and his forgiveness, that same Jesus stands ready to touch you again. He hasn't given up on you. He's not frustrated with your progress. He's not finished.

Right now, I'm a lot better than I was — but I'm not all the way there. I still need God's word every single day. I still need God's people every single day. And I've realized that's not a sign of weakness. That's exactly where I'm supposed to be: completely dependent on him.

That's the goal. Not just healing — dependence on Jesus.

If you're in the middle today — not where you were, not yet where you hope to be — I want you to hear this as your pastor: God sees you right where you are. He met this blind man in the middle of his healing. He'll meet you in yours.

Don't try to walk through this alone. If you're not already connected to a community of people who know you and love you, I want to invite you to take that next step. We were made for this — to bring each other to Jesus, and to stand with each other when we can't stand on our own.

Watch the full message at life.church, and if this resonated with you, share it with someone you know who might be stuck in the middle right now. They need to hear that God isn't finished with them yet.

Social Media Excerpt (Facebook/Instagram): Most of us have lived in a place we rarely talk about — not falling apart, but not fully thriving either. This week, I shared why that "middle place" is exactly where Jesus meets us, and why partial healing is not failed healing. It's healing in progress. Read the full post and share it with someone who needs to hear this today.

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