Living in Limbo

We are currently living in our camper as our house in Florida nears completion. Everything is jumbled in our tiny pop-up Trail Manor. It’s tiny, cramped, and overwhelming with all of what we need, not having a designated place. Ugh! I hate being in a limbo state. Sitting in our transitional state is exhausting.

Some of you had asked why we were building another home when we finished our Michigan home about three years ago. It’s actually simple: our health conditions make maintaining five acres of property, doing twenty to thirty floors of steps per day, and the frigid winters too much for our mid-life bodies to handle. My Boaz began building that home he started a few years before us as a couple. We don’t know if COVID escalated his hereditary heart condition, but he was more robust with greater endurance then. I was athletic when we met and married. I could keep up with him in all of the details of house-building along with yard maintenance. Maybe goats would help with the grass? Maybe. All we know is we will have less grass to mow. In the meantime, we sit in limbo

Healthy Living in the State of Limbo

Health-wise, while doing the limbo state, we’ve been walking 2-3 miles every day. We’ve lamented not bringing our bikes with us this time, but there was no room. I’ve also done water exercise in the campground pool a few times. I brought my aqua belt, water bells, swimsuit, and aqua shoes to get the best benefit from my water fitness routines. Exercise while in the limbo state has helped:

• Reduce physical pain.
• Increased stamina,
• Tempered depression,
• Relieved stress.

Exercise has been critical for me to survive in limbo.

We’ve also been eating as healthy as possible with a limited budget as we do life in limbo. This house-building project stretched out longer than we expected. Since my hubby retired, we are living on less, so our retirement funds last us well into our 90’s. Also, unfortunate as it is, food prices are higher than we anticipated. So, we’ve resigned ourselves to eating the same foods over and over. Here are some of our purchases:

1. Canned chicken breast keeps in the heat, humidity and travels well. A 12.5 oz. can is a meal for the two of us when added to some of our other ingredients.
2. Very lean ground turkey—is versatile and healthy. Since we have an oven and stove, I’ve been able to make tacos and burgers easily. I keep a can of Pam in the camper for low-fat cooking in pans.
3. Lettuce—we like to use the leaves in place of bread for Boaz, and I like lining gluten-free tortillas with them to reduce messy breakage. I can make a salad, too, if I wish.
4. Baby carrots, grape tomatoes, and radishes are easy to pack or for a snack.
5. Fresh fruit—low glycemic fruits like grapes and berries travel well and take very little time to prep and serve. Natural applesauce cups, apples, and bananas have also proven good choices on our trip.
6. Salsa or spaghetti sauce—I use salsa in tacos or with canned chicken in lettuce leaves. Spaghetti sauce or salsa goes great topping burgers. I also made pizza for us using spaghetti sauce and ground turkey.
7. Gluten-free Pita bread and tortillas—I can easily make burritos and sandwich pockets to eat in the camper or pack to take along.
8. Larabars and Think bars—when we have to be on the go, these make a great snack.
9. Dr. Schar’s whole-grain crackers and other gluten-free multi grain crackers are a delicious companion to a chef’s salad or enjoy alone as a snack.
10. Nuts—an excellent protein source on the go.

There are other foods we’ve sprinkled in like our breakfast yogurt, rice cakes, and more. I’ve actually lost a couple of pounds!  Our thinking is clearer when we eat healthy foods in limbo.

Life in Limbo

Something I’ve learned doing life in limbo in the past is that it is an active state. While we wait and watch, God still has something for us to do. We have lives to live even though our lives seem tossed in the air. Right now, I maintain my writing routine while I market Snapshots of Hope & Heart. I also have to keep up with bills. I get a mood boost when I connect with family across the U.S.  My Boaz’s mood gets a boost when I support my Second Blessing. I feel better when I maintain my health as best as possible. Sitting on my hands waiting for God is a waste of the gifts, talents, and resources God has entrusted to both of us. Yet, we continue using them, although modified, in our limbo state.

Faith Focus

Living in limbo is a challenging, frustrating state of being. Our tempers have been shorter, our patience exhausted, and our responses to annoying people a bit bitey. So what helps while doing the limbo when your last nerve is frazzled? Reading God’s Word and prayer. God brought several passages to mind along the way to help us change our limbo tune. We’ve asked each other driving in the car or relaxing at the end of the day, “What was that verse?” God has answered our exasperated prayers along the way, pointing us to His higher purpose of why we will be living in Florida eventually. God has kept our sanity in the chaos of doing limbo.

I believe we can claim this passage for ourselves when caught in limbo until God moves us forward again:

I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.

 Wait on the Lord;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the Lord!

Psalm 37:13-14 NKJV

King David lived in limbo. Having been anointed King of Israel to replace King Saul, David didn’t take his royal position until after King Saul died according to the prophecy given by Samuel, when consulting the Witch of Endor. He fought many battles and ran for his life in limbo. What sustained him during his limbo state? Waiting to see the goodness of God. He knew God is good. He knew he must wait on the Lord’s timing. We also can look forward to God’s goodness in limbo. He will carry us through the struggles we face, the disappointments, and our own human failures as long as we keep looking to him as we do life in limbo.

So what is God doing while you do life in limbo? Have you been able to see His work in the midst of it, or did you need to get through it to see His work in hindsight? As you either enter the limbo or exit it, may you continue to trust that God is good. Look for His strength and have good courage as you face battles as you live in your limbo state. May God bless you!