It was so dark, and nothing was familiar.

I was moving to a new town and we had gotten started late. I had a pile of internet directions, printed out, on the passenger seat beside me. My brother, driving a UHaul, was behind me.

Nothing seemed right. We had pulled off of the interstate to drive through some back roads. Everything was dark. I pulled over to look over the pages of internet instructions by the light of my dome light to make sure I wasn’t leading all of us astray. I was so tired. We both were. And we were only halfway there.

About 30 minutes later, I drove over a hill and saw–lights! A city! Signs that said we were almost there. I breathed a sigh of relief and got my first look at my new home.

Isn’t that how growth feels sometimes? We’ve left where we were, but we aren’t where we want to be.

Trust the process. Period, full stop. This is so true and so ridiculously hard. The messy middle of change and growth can feel like an unraveling, because it IS. It can feel like parts of you are dying. Because they ARE. 

When you find yourself in the messy middle, hold on. Remember where you started. Remember why you started, even when it feels dark and there are no landmarks to guide you. You may not be where you want, or even know where you want to be, but you’re here now. One mile at a time. One breath at a time.
The messy middle is where the good stuff takes root and grows.