Not too long ago, I was listening to the local Christian music station during their morning prayer time. As the DJ was praying, she mentioned a young woman that desperately wanted to be married. At the time I wanted to jump through the radio and scream, "NOOOOO!!!" If you are so desperate to be married you have to call your local radio station for prayer, we need to talk! I was honestly about to call the prayer line get the poor woman's number and have a little "bless your heart" heart to heart conversation. And while I still desire to speak to that young woman, I have calmed down and my heart simply hurts for her. It hurts because I see her pain, I see her desires, and I can echo them in my own heart. It hurts because I see her, along with so many young women (and men) who live their lives in desperation of desires that they forget the life that is happening right now, at this moment, in this day, in this season of their lives. They have become so focused on finding Mr Right that they have forgotten The Right One is pursuing their body soul and spirit daily. They have become so filled with self that they have forgotten to pour out self and give and serve. They have been lost in a crowd of ministries that they have forgotten how to minister. They have been so burned by the church by women by life that they have hidden beneath a surface of superficial smiles and conversational one-liners because why go deeper to only be hurt, why go deeper to only be over looked.
A few years ago, I was sitting in a hot pink living room on a pristine white sofa holding a cup of coffee and talking to an amazing woman, who happened to be single (and still is single!). As we sat talking, a stirring came up in my soul, a stirring that only the Spirit can give. I looked across the room and saw a woman who loved the Lord who desired to be married but who lived life to the fullest, never looking to the things she did not have but always taking account for the things she did have. As I sat there feeling the Spirit rise within me, I began to think of all the other women I had been watching for years, a leader who lived her life over seas serving in Asia; a young woman who moved to South Carolina, works in a food and wine industry that desperately needs Jesus, and daily makes the lives of those around her happier simply because she loves Jesus; a young woman who is ministering in the darkest places of Los Angeles, able to get behind curtains and doors into dressing rooms and clubs simply because she cares for the broken. The list of single women living life to the fullest and loving Jesus started mounting in my mind and it began to pour into my Spirit. And in that moment I realized, I too had been given a gift. I had been given the gift of singleness. I had been able to live over seas, move to different cities, attend graduate school, work in various schools, minister in various churches and I had been living life to the fullest, without even realizing the value of the gift I had been given.
As I sit here the enemy likes to lie. He likes to cover our thoughts with ugly reminders of the things we do not have, he likes to take our thoughts and turn them back into the times of hurt and pain, he likes to remind us of our often over looked passed by selves. He likes to take the things we are the strongest at especially as strong independent opinionated women and make us feel weak and unloved and unapproachable.
So to all singles everywhere, it is time to rise up. It is time to stop feeling sorry for yourself and get back in the ball game of life. You have been given a gift that not many have been given, the gift of singleness. While you have careers and jobs, bills and homes, flat tires and dirty dishes, and you are often misunderstood to have an abundance of free time, a late to bed time and an even later waking up time, you can be understood. You have desires and dreams and passions and goals and just because you are single does not mean they are not legitimate. You have gifting and talent that need to be used. You were not given singleness as a gift for yourself, you were not given passions desires gifts and talents to be used for your glory and to serve you. You were given singleness to give, you were given passions and desires to be fulfilled and bring glory to the One who gave them. You were given gifts and talents to serve and minister. The only way to change the hearts and minds of others is to change your heart and mind first and then to love on them, serve them, and minister to them. If you are dwelling in your singleness, then all around you will dwell with you. If you are living in the fullness of your gift then all around you will live in the fullness of theirs. Nothing negates the hurt the pain the sorrow and suffering you feel and go through, the loneliness the questions the doubts the fears. They are legitimate and they are real. But nothing negates the truth, and the truth is you were created for this season for this moment for this time. Everything under the sun has a season, there is a time for everything, there is a time to mourn but do not stay there. There is a time to question but do not live there. The Father wrote your script long before you came into being, He knew exactly the moment and the days before you were a thought. He has written your story and there is no Greater Author than He.
To all singles everywhere, please negate calling your local radio station, for your sake and for mine. And remember this is a season that many do not get to experience, live it in abundance live it in excitement live it in joy, because it is a season that is here today and gone tomorrow. For He knows the plans He has for you, plans of a hope and a future.
A few years ago, I was sitting in a hot pink living room on a pristine white sofa holding a cup of coffee and talking to an amazing woman, who happened to be single (and still is single!). As we sat talking, a stirring came up in my soul, a stirring that only the Spirit can give. I looked across the room and saw a woman who loved the Lord who desired to be married but who lived life to the fullest, never looking to the things she did not have but always taking account for the things she did have. As I sat there feeling the Spirit rise within me, I began to think of all the other women I had been watching for years, a leader who lived her life over seas serving in Asia; a young woman who moved to South Carolina, works in a food and wine industry that desperately needs Jesus, and daily makes the lives of those around her happier simply because she loves Jesus; a young woman who is ministering in the darkest places of Los Angeles, able to get behind curtains and doors into dressing rooms and clubs simply because she cares for the broken. The list of single women living life to the fullest and loving Jesus started mounting in my mind and it began to pour into my Spirit. And in that moment I realized, I too had been given a gift. I had been given the gift of singleness. I had been able to live over seas, move to different cities, attend graduate school, work in various schools, minister in various churches and I had been living life to the fullest, without even realizing the value of the gift I had been given.
As I sit here the enemy likes to lie. He likes to cover our thoughts with ugly reminders of the things we do not have, he likes to take our thoughts and turn them back into the times of hurt and pain, he likes to remind us of our often over looked passed by selves. He likes to take the things we are the strongest at especially as strong independent opinionated women and make us feel weak and unloved and unapproachable.
So to all singles everywhere, it is time to rise up. It is time to stop feeling sorry for yourself and get back in the ball game of life. You have been given a gift that not many have been given, the gift of singleness. While you have careers and jobs, bills and homes, flat tires and dirty dishes, and you are often misunderstood to have an abundance of free time, a late to bed time and an even later waking up time, you can be understood. You have desires and dreams and passions and goals and just because you are single does not mean they are not legitimate. You have gifting and talent that need to be used. You were not given singleness as a gift for yourself, you were not given passions desires gifts and talents to be used for your glory and to serve you. You were given singleness to give, you were given passions and desires to be fulfilled and bring glory to the One who gave them. You were given gifts and talents to serve and minister. The only way to change the hearts and minds of others is to change your heart and mind first and then to love on them, serve them, and minister to them. If you are dwelling in your singleness, then all around you will dwell with you. If you are living in the fullness of your gift then all around you will live in the fullness of theirs. Nothing negates the hurt the pain the sorrow and suffering you feel and go through, the loneliness the questions the doubts the fears. They are legitimate and they are real. But nothing negates the truth, and the truth is you were created for this season for this moment for this time. Everything under the sun has a season, there is a time for everything, there is a time to mourn but do not stay there. There is a time to question but do not live there. The Father wrote your script long before you came into being, He knew exactly the moment and the days before you were a thought. He has written your story and there is no Greater Author than He.
To all singles everywhere, please negate calling your local radio station, for your sake and for mine. And remember this is a season that many do not get to experience, live it in abundance live it in excitement live it in joy, because it is a season that is here today and gone tomorrow. For He knows the plans He has for you, plans of a hope and a future.
YES. Exactly. You nailed it :D. Nice to be seen and included, and emcouraged!!!
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