Someone like me! : )

I just found a cool new blog called Generations of Virtue I'm posting an article entitled, "The 'plight of singles'? Think again." that I thought was great! I've included my response below. Sorry for posting again on singleness but, hey, it's my blog I can do whatever I want. : )

"I’m tired of reviewing singles books. As some of you know, we at Generations of Virtue have read through every book we carry, and for each book we choose you can count on us having read at least 3 along the same lines before deciding to carry that particular one. We read every new Christian book that comes out on the market regarding relationships, parenting, dating, courtship etc.

For singles books, it’s safe to say that 97% of them are depressing, negative and are full of the victim mentality (the other 3% we have on our website). I’m tired of it! I’m single, always have been, and I can’t identify with these sentiments. OK….not anymore, at least.

We as singles need to put our time and energy into being productive, finding out what God’s will is for this season and DOING IT. One of my favorite stories is one of many shared by Elizabeth Elliott in her book Quest for Love. The story centers around a woman living on the Canadian east coast, and a man living on the west coast. God had placed on both their hearts the desire to spread the Gospel in Africa, but they initially hesitated because they both were single. Each made the decision to do the will of God – even if it meant serving alone – and went. A year later the woman was driving in the Sahara Desert when to her dismay she had a flat tire. The first person who stopped to help her was the man from her home country, who had been working on the opposite side of the desert. Would they have found each other had they decided to wait in Canada?

There is so much to be done to build the Kingdom of God in the world. But when we’re so caught up in “looking”, we honestly can’t see what work God has for us. That’s because our focus is inward, centered on ourselves, instead of being centered on God. Something I’ve noticed in my life is when I stopped looking, stopped expecting that the next guy I met would be the one, my life really began to change. I started asking God to open my eyes; I’m convinced they were practically shut from being self centered. Even my thought patterns began to change. For the first time in my life, I’m beginning to believe that if God calls me to be single, that’s ok. I never dreamed I’d feel this way. The reality is there is work to be done and very few people who will actually look beyond themselves to do it. I’m tired of being the kind of person who’s so self centered they can’t see the bigger picture. The flip side has been so avoided and ignored because it’s uncomfortable. It doesn’t feed your flesh, self life, or necessarily make you look good to anyone but God, which is the most important anyway. One of my favorite quotes, one that I’ve spent a lot of time pondering is something Julie Hiramine says: “If your heart is motivated out of love to Him instead of a bunch of rules, it will be so much easier to follow what He says.”

Think about this: if you’re intent on finding the person God has for you, and God is calling you to Southern India, you’re better off there than here."

FINALLY someone is making some sense!! : ) I say if God gets the most glory in me being single then so be it. If He gets the most glory in me being married, then so be it. Either way I am NOT going to complain and pout and sit around and wait. It’s not really about me and my wants, it’s about Him and His Glory and that His Name would be made great! This life is so short and in light of eternity marriage doesn’t really matter a whole lot. Don’t get me wrong I would love to be married and have children and learn from the struggles married life brings, but at the same time I WILL be happy and content in whatever the Lord chooses for my current circumstances!! I WILL listen to the Spirit as He guides and directs whether it be towards continued service to the Lord as a single or continued service to the Lord and to my husband as a married woman. I know many say that being married makes you more like Jesus and I believe it, HOWEVER, I also believe (and know) that God is not unable to also provide other circumstances in your life (besides marriage) to make you more Christ-like. Yay for being happy in all things and in ALL circumstances. May we all grow in contentment in singleness AND marriage.

P.S. It only took about 8 years of God (ever so gently) knocking me over the head to get here… I’m a bit of a slow learner. : )