Today, I'm excited to share the story behind my song "The Middle of Nowhere" from my 12-song collection of the same name. This song was born on March 3, 2017, when I was asked to minister at Hartley Christian Fellowship in Hartley, Texas - a town about 78 miles north of Amarillo that the locals affectionately refer to as "the middle of nowhere."
As I prepared for my visit, the pastor asked me to address the congregation's need for "renewed passion and an openness and love for our changing community culturally" - a return to their first love as followers of Christ. This request resonated deeply with me, and the phrase "in the middle of nowhere" just wouldn't leave my mind.
The more I pondered that idea, the richer the meaning became. Literally, Hartley fit the Cambridge Dictionary's definition of being "far away from any towns and cities and where few people live." But I knew there had to be a deeper, more spiritual significance to being stuck in the middle of nowhere.
So I kept meditating on it, and a poignant quote from Dag Hammarskjöld, the Swedish economist and diplomat who served as the second Secretary-General of the United Nations, began to echo in my thoughts: "Pray that your loneliness may spur you into finding something to live for, great enough to die for." This sentiment would prove to be a powerful thread woven through the song that emerged.
As I continued to reflect and pray, the lyrics and melody started to take shape, born out of that sense of isolation and the longing for a deeper connection with the Lord. I hope that as you listen to this song, you'll be encouraged to seek that fuller intimacy with our Savior, even - or perhaps especially - when you find yourself in the "middle of nowhere." Because that's often where we discover the fullness of His presence.
The middle of nowhere - it can feel like being lost in the wilderness, both physically and spiritually. Just as the Israelites wandered the physical wilderness, their journey was a reflection of their inner spiritual condition. The wilderness they traversed was a tangible demonstration of the unseen battles raging within.
I imagine the Israelites, freshly freed from the bondage of slavery in Egypt, finding themselves suddenly surrounded by endless expanses of desert. The hot, dry air, the endless horizon, the sense of being utterly alone - it must have felt like being in the middle of nowhere. Yet, even in that desolate landscape, God Himself led them, guiding them by a cloud in the day and a pillar of fire by night. He parted the Red Sea to deliver them. And daily, He provided manna, fresh sustenance from heaven.
But so often, we - like the Israelites - become fixated on the wilderness around us, blind to the love, presence, and power of God at work in our lives. We gaze upon our circumstances and declare ourselves lost in the middle of nowhere, neglecting to see the ways the divine is moving.
Being in the middle of nowhere can be as simple as feeling alone, even amidst a crowd. I imagine standing in the heart of New York City, surrounded by millions during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and yet sensing an overwhelming sense of isolation, as if no one can see you.
But the good news is that we can never truly be alone, for the God we are in relationship with is always with us, wherever we may find ourselves. In fact, I've found that being alone with God - allowing myself to be fully seen and yet fully loved - is a profound way to recharge my spiritual, emotional, and physical batteries. Jesus Himself would intentionally withdraw to solitary places, to commune with His Father and find the strength to continue His mission.
So perhaps being in the middle of nowhere is not something to fear, but an invitation to draw nearer to the One who promises to never leave or forsake us. It's in those quiet, isolated moments that we may just discover the fullness of His presence.
When we are willing to stand alone for our faith; whenever we are willing to speak Truth to those we love; whenever we risk loving through service; we face the risk of being misunderstood. Because of the nature of my own story - freedom from homosexual identity and now identifying as heterosexual - I often feel as if I live in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of being misunderstood. The simple fact of the matter is that if we pursue Jesus with the passion He pursued us, we will be misunderstood.
Each of the apostles had to walk through the wilderness of being misunderstood. They preached love. The world heard hate. The world - thanks to the deception of the enemy - is walking in darkness apart from Christ. The most loving thing to tell someone is that they need a Savior because of their sin. No one wants to be told they are wrong about anything, yet that was one of the most loving things ever spoken to me. “Dennis, you are in sin.” Just as Stephen who was stoned to death for his faith in Christ, we may be misunderstood to the degree that our very life is threatened.
Just as with the children of Israel who had the choice of seeing and experiencing God’s love, presence, and power, Stephen chose to see from the Lord’s point of view while in the middle of nowhere. While being stoned to death for preaching the Truth of Jesus, He chose to look into the heavenly places, ‘but being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; and he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”’ Acts 7:55-56 NASB
The stoning continued but so did the faith of Stephen. ‘They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” Acts 7:59 NASB
When finding ourselves in the middle of nowhere, whether in a desert, in a crowd, or being stoned, we must recognize and realize that even there we are not alone. In fact could it be that finding one’s self in the middle of nowhere is a good - and grand - thing? It all depends on the point of view, I suppose.
We can look at the cloud of obscurity and see only darkness, or we can recognize it as the very guide that leads us. We can view the fiery trial as a threat, or we can take comfort in the pillar of God's protection. We can focus on the raging sea with no way through, or we can marvel at its parting.
Even the smallest things can take on new meaning. That bare existence? It can become manna from heaven. That emptiness? An opportunity to be filled. That brokenness? A chance to be poured out.
I imagine standing in the midst of a vast, barren desert, feeling utterly alone. But what if, in that solitude, I find the chance to truly meet with my Maker, to bask in the oasis of His love? The wounds that once seemed so isolating could become an offering to the Healer.
You see, the middle of nowhere doesn't have to be a place of desolation. It can be transformed into a sacred space where we encounter the God who meets our every need. Where we feel most lost, He can be most found.
So perhaps this "middle of nowhere" is not something to fear, but an invitation to shift our perspective, to see the love, presence, and power of our God at work, even in the most seemingly desolate of places. It's there, in that stillness and solitude, that we may just discover the grandest things.
Dennis Jernigan
To hear The Dennis Jernigan Podcast version of this blog and to listen to the song, go to https://www.patreon.com/posts/120884339
Photo courtesy of https://pixabay.com/photos/desert-drought-dehydrated-arid-279862/