In the Hallway of Growth: Embracing the Messy Middle

In the Hallway of Growth: Embracing the Messy Middle

Welcome to The Messy Middle—a space where I share the raw, unfiltered moments of my journey to writing my book and building my life. It’s not always pretty, but it’s real. My hope is that by sharing my story, you’ll feel inspired to embrace your own beautiful, messy middle.

Right now, I’m a mix of scared, apprehensive, and excited. Sleep has been elusive this past week because my mind has been hijacked by an obsessive desire to finally write the book I’ve been asking God to put in my heart for decades. Last year, the vision for my book became clear. I gathered all the materials I needed and even created a title and a mock-up of the book cover to inspire me. I told myself I would start writing on January 1st.

But January 1st came and went. I sat down to write, only to stare at the blank page. Overwhelmed and unsure, I walked away feeling defeated.

Not ready to give up, I enrolled in a writer’s class offered by a major publisher. On the very first day, I had the opportunity to pitch my book idea. To my surprise, the feedback was meh. I was expecting thunderous applause for my creative genius. But truthfully, their feedback was priceless. The CEO and senior editor of the publishing company gave me inspiring ways to approach my book, offering small but powerful tweaks to make it better. They didn’t laugh me out of the room; their guidance left me on cloud nine.

It was a reminder that sometimes we just need a little encouragement and fresh perspective to keep going.

My grandmother used to say, “Baby, when God closes one door, He always opens another. But sometimes, baby, there’s hell in the hallway.” Oh, how I miss her wise words. Her voice still guides me, especially in these hallway moments—the in-between spaces where growth feels hard and messy.

How about you? Have you ever experienced your own version of hell in the hallway? If you’re navigating your own messy middle right now, know this: growth happens here. Keep growing through what you’re going through. The hallway is tough, but it’s also where transformation happens.

So here I am—scared and standing in the hallway. I’m becoming a version of myself that has never existed before. That’s why I call this journey The Messy Middle. The story inside me won’t allow me to rest until it’s told. My job is to push aside the unease and trust God to speak through me.

I’m happy to share that I’ve taken a few small but meaningful steps forward. I’ve written a new title, my first sentence, and revamped my mock-up book cover. These little victories may seem small, but they are everything. Sometimes, it’s the small wins that keep us moving forward.

If you’re feeling stuck in your hallway moment, I hope this post helps you feel less alone. What’s one small victory you’ve celebrated lately? I’d love to hear about it in the comments. Let’s remind each other that progress, no matter how messy, is still progress.

I’m grateful for this journey. I believe in me. And I believe in you, too.