Single, No Mingle

“But I wish everyone were single, just as I am. Yet each person has a special gift from God, of one kind or another.” 1 Corinthians 7:7

First hand experience has taught me that we often take singleness for granted. We constantly fail to realize how much of our time, energy, and thought is taken up by relationships.

I just got out of a wonderful relationship that lasted a year and a half. Everyone around me seems to think I should either be heart broken or on the hunt. Not to be callous, or a downer, but I am neither. 

It’s been a long time since I was single, but I had a random thought today of Paul’s reminder that singleness is a gift, not something to be resented. In 1 Corinthians Paul encourages us to remain single and use the extra time being single provides to focus on our faith, which is something I sorely need to do right now. 

I am not saying that singleness is the only path to take, and I don’t plan on remaining single forever. I’m your typical fanciful girl… Someday I want a man’s man to come in and utterly sweep me off my feet and carry me out to his picturesque ranch miles from civilization. Eventually I want a houseful of handsome, rowdy boys running around underfoot, and a couple curly haired, angelic looking (but ornery as me) girls poking around somewhere. But that’s all in the future… right now…

Right now I am going to embrace the gift of a lifetime. I am going to get my life and my spirit pulled together and look forward to the wonderful life I know my Father has planned for me.

What's a Plan?

"An attitude of contentment and hopefulness is one that recognizes God's sovereignty in every situation. Its is faith-birthed optimism that looks to God - an attitude more aware of and grateful for the evidence of God's grace than of problems needing correction." - Joshua Harris - I Kissed Dating Goodbye -

I have to admit that I had a little bit of a hard time finding this quote... I had to search. I always begin a post with a quote or scripture, that's just my style, it gives me a strong starting point. I was looking for something applicable to finding God's plan for one's life, because I recently realized: my life is here. I'm not a kid anymore...

I just spent a month and a half on vacation, and I had a lot of time to think, time I had to use, because I have things to figure out now. And I came to a life-altering conclusion: I DO NOT LIKE THE PLAN I HAVE FOR MY LIFE! I thought I had it figured out... and I did. But that was the problem. I had it figured out. Where was God's hand in any of it? Nowhere. When did I pray about it? Never. How did I know it was His plan for my life? I didn't... I don't, because now I know: it's not.

I don't know what to do with my life because I haven't taken time out of it to ask the only One Who does know. So, I give up. I'm done planning. I'm giving it all to Him. And I'm going to optimistically look forward to His sovereign plan for my life. My problem now is my plan, so it's gone. Done.

I don't have the slightest clue where my life is going, but there is a subtle beauty in that idea, because I know God knows and he will graciously lead me down the path that He has chosen for my. And with that thought in my head and my heart, I am happier and more content than I have felt in years...