The Sacred Space Between Doors
There’s a phrase a friend told me years ago that resurfaces occasionally during my more restless seasons:
“Don’t waste time while you’re waiting in the hallway for God to open the door.”
(variations of this exist on the internet)
I’ve thought about that sentence more times than I can count.
Maybe because I naturally live in the future. I’m a strategist by wiring. I like to think about what’s next, what could be, where things are headed. I jokingly call it my “mental time travel.” It’s helped me build multiple teams, architect impactful initiatives, and solve a few problems along the way.
So to ask me to be in the hallway, waiting, frankly…well, it sucks.
(sorry, that’s a curse word in my family but the moment requires it)
Some of my hardest seasons of life have been hallway seasons.
The in-between.
The waiting.
The “God, what’s next?” moments.
You know those seasons. The job opportunity that hasn’t opened yet. The ministry dream that feels delayed. The business idea that still feels stuck in neutral. The prayer you’ve prayed so many times that it now feels worn thin around the edges.
I’ve spent so much energy staring at the closed door at times that I’ve missed the people and God-moments standing beside me in the hallway.
Jesus Never Rushed the Future
That’s what has been confronting me lately.
In Matthew 19, the disciples tried to push children away because, apparently, Jesus had more important things to do. But Jesus stopped. He blessed them. He gave His attention to them.
People over productivity.
Presence over hurry.
Then there’s Mark 5. Jesus is literally on His way to raise a dead girl. Talk about a high-priority, stress-filled moment. And yet in the middle of that urgent mission, He stops everything because a hurting woman touched His cloak.
He pauses.
He notices.
He listens.
Can you imagine being one of the disciples in that moment? “Uhm, Jesus, we really don’t have time for this.”
But apparently, Heaven did.
A Vision for the Hallway
I’m learning that God often does some of His deepest work in us while we’re moving between doors. That space, for me, is becoming sacred.
The hallway is not punishment.
The hallway is formation.
And honestly, most meaningful things in life seem to move slower than I want them to.
(kind of like my dad’s chili that sat on the stove brewing for almost two days)
Character develops slowly. Trust builds slowly. Healthy businesses grow slowly. Spiritual maturity certainly grows slowly.
It’s in the hallway where God loosens my grip on control.
At The Stone Table, we believe your work and your life are part of a bigger story God is telling in the world. Even the waiting seasons. Even the slow seasons. Even the hallway seasons.
Don’t waste them.
Learn. Give. Go.
Because God is still at work in the hallway.
Bill Tibbetts
Bill Tibbetts is the Vice President of Education and Multiplication at The Stone Table, bringing over two decades of experience in higher education to his role. As the former Dean of the College of Business and Technology at North Central University, he developed a deep passion for mentoring, missions, and business consulting. Bill's extensive expertise uniquely positions him to lead initiatives that encourage marketplace believers and college students to actively engage with the Great Commission. He also serves on the board of the Community Reinvestment Foundation and is based in Minneapolis, MN, supporting The Stone Table's expansion into new regions.
