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Thoughts of a Single Lady

I saw a woman standing outside a convenience mart smoking a cigarette.  I was fueling up my little tan car when I wondered if I should start a conversation with her.  I fought my own brain, and wondered if that was God’s voice or my paranoia.  She wasn’t relatively close by any means. I plainly took my receipt and drove on. 

Now jump to this logical thought.  The things I’ve heard about marriage are all true.   I have listened to love story after love story and all the couples say that they have been joined together to bring further glory to the Lord.  Marriage is ultimately a mirror of God’s love for His bride, and these teams are used for expanding His kingdom on earth.  Those are all true statements.  Most of the time I agree with them because I do think it would be easier to go on a mission trip with your husband.  Yes, it would at times be easier to serve and love someone unconditionally when it is your beautiful wife.  But what about the here and now?  How can being single bring more glory to God and be considered a gift like Paul claimed in 1 Corinthians 7? 

It was when I was driving away from the gas station that I realized being married would have had nothing to do with starting a conversation with a woman that could lead to her salvation!  I didn’t do it then, and I wouldn’t have done it with a (might I add gorgeous) ring on my finger.

 In fact, if we want to talk what brings God the most glory here and now, we ought to bring up the brilliance that is singleness.  I don’t have to own up to much other than on occasion my parents and my friends.  I have so much time to meet people for coffee and encourage others (and yes the challenge is to actually do these things).  I can take hours out of my day to pray and spend time with my God.  And sometimes we don’t believe, or I don’t think it’s enough just to sit with Him.  But once we taste the goodness of the Lord, we discover that it is. 

I will not boast as far as Paul did in Philippians 4, but as a thought, where do you think Paul had the authority to tell people he has “learned to be content in every situation”?  He seemingly had little to nothing from the world’s standards but people believed his contentment was from God because he had no other reason than that.  

He is the one that receives the glory when I am learning to let the peace of Christ rule in my heart.  I pray I do not become conceited in my state, alluding to the fact that I am a “stronger” individual than those "poor unfortunate souls" in relationships. That is definitely not the case.  I am still weak and at moments will cry out for different circumstances, but for now I delight in God’s victory for this season.  This is why I’m glad I’m single.  Because it is bringing more glory to God than I realized.  

Put your hands up!


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