groundhog day & the murky middle
Groundhog Day is one of my favorite holidays if you can call it that. It says something about human nature that we look to a furry rodent for future weather conditions, although he sometimes seems more accurate than local meteorologists. I have nothing against weather prognosticators, and they are indeed more accurate than Phil. The groundhog is correct about one-third of the time since 188,7, while weather reporters tend to be much more precise.
The thing is that when Phil gives a forecast, people throw a huge party. Ten to twenty thousand people attend his weather report each year! So, I’m going to do the same. I’ve invited my kids, grandkids, and friends to a Groundhog Day party next week.
Punxsutawney Phil became exponentially more famous following the movie Groundhog Day, starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell, in February 1993. I love this movie! It contains many helpful life lessons and makes you laugh while doing it. Next Wednesday, after enjoying a “breakfast” dinner, we will gather around the ole flatscreen and laugh it up for a while. Breakfast is the meal Phil Conners, the reporter, ate every day, so it seems appropriate to do the same.
If you are not familiar with the Groundhog Day movie, shame on you! Phil is an arrogant weather reporter who is tasked with a news story on the site of Phil’s prediction. He is irate about it because, in his mind, this kind of story is well beneath his talent. Due to Phil Conners’ (Murray) bad attitude, he ends up in a time warp where every day is the same for over thirty-three years. He wakes up every day at the same time in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to the sound of Sonny and Sher singing “I’ve Got You, Babe.” He lives through precisely the same daily routine as he finally becomes self-aware and open to improvement.
Over time, Conners ever so slowly becomes a better person until he finally lives a perfect day. The following day, he awakens to find he is no longer in the maddening cycle.
We are presently enduring similar cycles in two ways. January and February are, for many, what is called the “murky middle.” They are known as two of the most depressing months because the wonder of Christmas has died, and the promise of spring is still well into the future. That’s why we pray Phil gives an optimistic prediction and spring is shortly on the horizon. We’re in the murky middle, and it can squash our enthusiasm for life.
We are also experiencing a seemingly never-ending cycle of this disgusting bug we call COVID. Will this thing ever end?! Nearly every day, we hear of a family member, friend, or neighbor who is ill. Most of us know someone who did not make it out.
Every goal, every project, every marriage, every job, every class, every sports event, and every season of life has a murky middle. The excitement of something new wears off, yet we are a long distance from the finish line. Marathon runners know this as “the wall.” Around twenty miles into the race, the body uses its stored energy, and the runner cannot continue nearly as fast. Many runners end up walking for a while until they can conquer their mental and physical condition and get back to running.
Many projects and goals die in the murky middle. I am presently writing two books. The process has taken well over a year, and I am only halfway through one book and three-quarters through the other. The middle has sometimes been excruciating! Many days feel like Groundhog Day, as if the process will never end.
I managed numerous building projects and new development programs during my church leadership days. Every one of them contained a murky middle. If Gail were here to tell the story, we experienced a few years of murky middle in our marriage. As much as I love my children, there were periods in each of their growth where they drove me crazy – the murky middle. I thought I would never finish my master’s degree, and then I went for my doctorate – duh ! I spent many depressing days trying to complete two hundred pages of my thesis and then my dissertation. It was the murky middle.
So, how do you get through this seemingly endless cycle? Here are some thoughts.
The middle will reveal the depth of your character, and that is a good thing. Everyone gets excited when something new begins, and we all love to cross the finish line. But we learn who we are in the middle. This period reveals both your strengths and your weaknesses. Self-awareness is critical to personal growth, and when you investigate what you see in the mirror, you behold a more accurate picture of who you are. You cannot fix what needs repair until you recognize It. You cannot build on a strength unless you acknowledge your talent.
And don’t be deceive d. The murky middle tends to cast a negative shadow, but that is not always the case. Success is often the murky middle that we do not recognize. King David was immensely successful, and he knew it. I repeat, he knew it. In his revelry, the monarch stayed home to gloat over his success when the warrior king should have led his troops into battle. Instead, he sat in his lounger, reading his glowing reviews while sipping on fine wine. In his leisure, he noticed the neighbor’s wife sunbathing nude, and it turned him on. He could have whatever he wanted; he was King David. He did. He impregnated his good friend Uriah’s wife and was so afraid that he covered it up and had his faithful soldier friend killed in battle. Problem solved. Not!!
God saw things differently. David’s murky middle was indeed murky, but it was born out of success, not struggle. Nathan the prophet called him on his dastardly deeds, and fortunately, the man after God’s own heart repented, God, redeemed the whole situation, and Jesus came through the line of Bathsheba and the great king. Beware the middle of success. God can save anything, but why put Him to the test?
Persistence shows up in the middle. No one gets anywhere without perseverance. My personal exhortation in the mirror has always been, “I think I’ll just go on anyway!” Persistence trumps intelligence and raw talent. All professional sportspeople are gifted, but only those who practice harder and longer ultimately stand out.
Someone must tell you again and again, “You can do this, don’t give up.” Find those people and listen. “Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt advice.” (Proverbs 27:9 NIV).
Recognize that you are not alone in your disposition. In your network presently, numerous people feel very similar to you. In the world, millions are experiencing your plight. Hey, we’re all ticked off about this stupid virus right now, but we will weather this together. There is power in community.
God is doing something meaningful in you; work with it. God had a big job for Moses, so he had him tend sheep for forty stinking years before He revealed his Divine mission. Every day the future liberator awakened to the sound of sheep whining, the nasty smell of sheep poop, and the annoyance of another dumb animal who ran off during the night. God was with Mo and working in him for his good and God’s glory. Your life is meant for God’s glory. That is why you exist, and the Almighty is performing that miracle in you right this moment – even in the mirky middle.
Finally, throw a party! February is the murky middle of winter, but if we can have the sense of humor to celebrate a furry rodent crawling out of his hole for a few minutes, we can celebrate anything! Valiant is the person who can party in the midst of a struggle.
A few years ago, my wife was slowly dying of cancer. About a month and a half before her passing, we threw a huge party. Dozens and dozens of friends and family came from far and wide to celebrate the day of her birth. It was a grand event, and there was plenty to celebrate. A life well-lived. An eternal purpose from her illness – www.gailsgirls.org and ultimate healing and victory because of God’s grace. With Him, you cannot lose unless you quit! There is always a reason to party with God because no matter what happens, He’s got your back.
One morning you will awaken to Sonny and Sher singing once again, but you will discover a whole new day outside your window. With God, all things are possible! Murky middle – bring it on! Let’s party!
Live Inspired!
Don Mark
P.S. I hope you will check out the new Live Inspired! Store. You will find items that remind you and others to rise above your circumstances with God. www.donmarkhamilton.com Click the “Shop” button in the top banner. Ten percent of all sales are donated to www.gailsgirls.org. Thanks!!
