Where God's Word Meets My Mess
So I have this problem—a problem of pointless pursuits. Pointless pursuits have kind of been the theme of my life, at least my life in the last few years. I haven’t pursued empty things because people failed to warn me about the consequences. No, ignorance wasn’t the issue. My stubbornness was. But warnings are warnings for a reason. This post is my warning to you.
I know that I recently wrote you a letter about accepting your single status but admitting that singleness is hard. But there’s something else that’s just as important that I need to share with you. I truly believe that you are single. For. A. Reason. So, Single Girl, please find purpose in whatever you do while you wait to date and get married.
It’s Easter Sunday, and the sun is shining brightly. The daffodils are blooming outside. The grass is finally starting to look green again.
You sit on a hard wooden pew in the old church sanctuary. You are surrounded by a sea of people who seem genuinely joyful. Their cheerful voices echo throughout the entire sanctuary. But Satan’s voice is the only thing you can hear right now.
Oh, to be at peace with wherever God has placed us right now. Oh, to feel full of life, rather than full of resentment. Oh, to know that this season is not accidental or meaningless. What if I told you that you can?
I know God never promised that I would marry Sean or that I would become a published author or that I would find the perfect church. And He never promised that you would accomplish _____ goal or have _____ desire met. But that doesn’t mean His back is turned away from you. In fact, the opposite is true.
Some soon-to-be-college-grads that I know already have plans for the future. They already have a job lined up, or they’ve already met Mr. Right, or they’ve already chosen to further their education. But I don’t have anything set for my life after April. And that scares me.
I hadn't done much video chatting before 2020, but all of a sudden, video chatting became the new normal. Google Meet and Zoom became typical places for gathering. While video chatting is great for connecting with friends and family members who live far away, it can never replace in-person interactions and relationships.
I know you’re eager for all the suffering to end. Right. This. Second. But God doesn’t want us to get too comfortable in a place that isn’t our real home. We only have to rest for a little while longer.
I’ve entrusted my heart to way too many people in my life. Thus, way too many people have disappointed me. Although this is difficult to admit, it’s partially our fault when people disappoint us. They can only disappoint us if we put too much faith, hope, or trust in them. No one deserves our hearts except the One who created them and holds them tenderly.
Even though I haven’t seen that many Hallmark movies, I’ve seen enough to know what the end is going to be: happily ever after. Honestly, Hallmark, you’re deceiving so many women with your cookie-cutter romances. Our expectations for dating and marriage are completely skewed, thanks to you and your sidekick, Disney.
Everyone tells you that college is the best time of your life and that post-college will be the worst time of your life. Perhaps the best time of your life will officially be over in approximately three months. So you panic.
I know that I almost allowed anorexia nervosa to ruin my life. Thankfully, God intervened. Perhaps you also realize that your eating disorder could’ve ruined your life. But also realize this: you are not your eating disorder.
Friends, I know singleness isn't easy. It's nobody's fault that you're un-dated, un-engaged, and un-married. But patience isn't becoming easier. Instead, feelings of loneliness, disappointment, and curiosity, and fear are becoming easier. What's a girl to do?
This poem is based on an analogy from Scripture. As the church, Christ's bride, we can live in gratitude and joy because we no longer wear darkness and shame. Just as the groom typically wears a black suit and the bride typically wears a white dress at their wedding, Christ wore black—our sin—so that we could wear white—His righteousness.
I bet we would all say that we hope 2021 is better than 2020. But what if it’s not? What if 2021 is worse than 2020? My goal for this post is not to make you lose hope but to point you to a hope that we can’t lose.
