I heard those famous words ‘mind the gap’ yesterday as we were traveling around on the tube. It was the first time those words had made me think quite intently as to where I am at the moment.
I feel that I am in the gap – I can’t mind it or avoid it, as I have well and truly fallen into it!
A couple of days ago I met someone at the post office who asked if I was enjoying the slow down, and actually I was forced to admit that I am not particularly. I thought I would and planned to spend time reading, reflecting and so on … but I want to do something! To put this in context August is quite often quiet; but normally now I would be sorting my diary for September – November and planning any training I might be involved in and so although quiet, the month would be active. Obviously none of that is happening as I am leaving YFC.
I am leaving YFC, bit the pioneer minister role has not started yet. I am leaving and have nothing to fill the gap. I feel the gap has developed so I can’t step over it – so I have fallen in.
I don’t know if that makes sense, but I do not think this is a negative or wrong place to be. I think being in the gap is a learning place and a time of preparation. As I have been writing my mind has turned to Joseph being thrown into a well – his kind of gap which changed not only his life but his whole outlook and relationship with God.
The gap is not to be avoided. I wonder whether, instead, the gap is to be acknowledged, considered and fully experienced if I am to move on and more fully realise God’s call to mission.
For a task orientated person who loves to be busy, who feels pretty useless if he is not achieving stuff or planning projects, who loves to tick off completed tasks from his list it is, however, an uncomfortable place to be in.
Being uncomfortable does, however, upset the equilibrium which has to be positive if only because it causes you to justify where you are. As I look around to see what I can be taking of God from my gap experience I hope I can take the time and have the patience to climb out when the time is right.
The Shiny Headed Prophet 
What if in Truth and Reality there is no gap and it (the gap) is a mind-created presumption that you are creating, defending and holding in every moment of your waking time?Time equals gap.What happens to the “gap” when “you” enter into a state of deep dreamless, and hence formless, sleep? In which there is not a jot of separation and hence no gaps.
That is an interesting way of looking at it. I can acknowledge that maybe this is something that my mind is creating and therefore reading everything through. It has caused me to think about that a little bit – maybe this is more of a seamless transition and the gap is created by me because I want there to be a gap – possible I guess.I can’t see how, though, your sleep argument adds to this as that is a bit like the tree falling down in the middle of a forest. Just because no one observes or hears it fall does not mean it falls silently.Thanks for your comment