Single & Happy

All your life, you had specific dreams about what your family life would be like when you finally married. You were so intent on what you wanted, you even made a list of qualities and characteristics you were looking for in a spouse, in a home, in your job, in your children. But time passed, and that person you were so intent on didn't come along. All of your friends married, had children, had beautiful homes. And still you were single. You prayed and prayed and prayed for that person to come along, but nothing happened.

You had a good job. You served in your church. You spent daily time with the Lord in prayer and studying the Word. You dedicated your life to serving God in every way possible, but still nothing. So you decided to take matters into your own hands, and you began an active search for a mate. And within a short period, you met someone who almost fit the bill. Almost. Sure, there were a few things Missing, a few rusty spots in that person's character. But, after all, no one is perfect. Of course, your friends and your pastor tried to counsel you that you were making a poor choice and that you should wait for the Lord to send the right person.

But that couldn't be right. You had waited for a long time. Maybe your goals were too high. Maybe you'd been asking for the impossible. Maybe this was the person God wanted for you so you're character could grow through dealing with his or her failings. So you married. And your life went down hill from there. Even though it often seems that God is slow to answer prayers, no matter whether it's about a mate, or a job, or our children, or our finances, or anything else, we have to remember that God doesn't wear a watch. Nor does He look at our human calendars. He sees with eternal eyes. He operates on an eternal timetable, according to His plan and His schedule. If God seems to be running late, don't get impatient and run ahead of him. Wait for the Lord's timing in everything. To the single folks out there, this is for you.

Single means you have the time to grow and be the person you want to be. Single gives you space to grow. Sometimes, it is harder to grow when you are too close to someone. Trees are planted far apart so they can spread their branches and become strong as they mature. Single means learning to live by yourself. However, that is no more difficult than learning to live with somebody else. Single means freedom. You are free to spend a week's vacation on the beach, to take computer courses, to work late on an interesting project, to spend the day in bed with a good book or simply with a person who has read one. Single means learning not to need a man/woman to make your life meaningful but learning to live with a man/woman because you want to be with him/her. Single means that sometimes you will wonder why you will bite your lip and feel wistful and wonder if marriage is better. Ironically, yet quite happily, single is feeling good about being in control of your life. It is liking and respecting who you are and why you are. Single is realizing that being married is not necessarily better, it is merely different. Single means that there could be something wonderful around the corner and you can take advantage of it. Single means you are free to love again. There are times when we are afraid of telling the person, whom we love or like, what we feel deep inside because we might just lose them. That's a big risk...I know. But hey....everything is. The way I see it is why keep something inside and then end up regretting it in the near future? But as I've said... everything is a big risk. So whatever you decide to do with your feelings... whether you tell it to that person or not... you have to be ready with the consequences that come after it and accept it. Whatever decisions that you have made in your life is part of your growing experience... part of life. Whatever decisions that you have to make will influence or affect your future. So think hard before deciding on certain things...and PRAY TO GOD and HE will show you the way.