Liminal Spaces – by Bermie Dizon
My wife and I have a friend who is moving out of their home and relocating to another state. Our friend shared how challenging this process has been, and I can completely relate. Most of us have faced the stress of moving, and dealing with unexpected challenges that feel like curve-balls. Recently, I came across a word that perfectly captures this experience—liminal.
Having come from the Philippines and learning English in school, liminal is a new word for me. Liminal spaces refer to those in-between moments—the threshold between where we’ve been and where we’re going. It’s that time when one door has closed, but the next one hasn’t yet opened. It’s the space between the “no longer” and the “not yet.” These moments can feel unsettling, as we’re neither fully here nor fully there. Yet, it’s often in these uncertain, waiting times that God does some of His deepest work in us.
I remember feeling this way after I retired, asking myself, “What now? Where do I go from here?” I had asked those questions before, but I now realized I need a more concrete answer. So how do we navigate life when we find ourselves in these liminal spaces?
Scripture is full of examples of people living in liminal spaces. Abraham waited for years between the promise of a son and the birth of Isaac. The Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years, between escaping Egypt and entering the Promised Land. The disciples lived in the tension between the crucifixion and the resurrection. These in-between moments were often marked by uncertainty and waiting, but they were also sacred times when God shaped His people’s faith and trust in Him.
When we find ourselves in a liminal space, it’s tempting to rush through it, to seek clarity, or to grasp for control. But these in-between moments are sacred. They invite us to release our need for certainty and trust in God’s timing and His process. In the waiting, we learn to depend on Him more fully. In my own life, these times have often become seasons of prayer, meditation, and seeking wise counsel.
Proverbs 16:9 says, “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” While we may have plans and hopes for where we want to go, it is God who directs our steps, even when the path seems unclear or undefined. Liminal spaces are not wasted—they’re part of the journey. These are often times when God is preparing us for what’s next in ways we cannot yet see.
If you find yourself in a season of waiting, uncertainty, or transition, take heart. Though uncomfortable, this space is where God is present, refining, and guiding you. Trust that He is with you, even in the unknown, and that His purposes for you are still unfolding.
As Isaiah 40:31 reminds us, “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” Embrace the liminal space, trusting that God will lead you forward in His perfect time.
Bermie Dizon is a husband, father, grandfather and retired pastor living in Southern California.
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