Where God's Word Meets Our Mess
Friends, I know from personal experience that singleness isn't easy. It's nobody's fault that you're un-dated, un-engaged, or un-married. But patience isn't becoming easier. Instead, feelings of loneliness, disappointment, curiosity, and fear are becoming easier. What's a girl to do with these unpleasant emotions?
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.
Surely, this thought has crossed your mind recently. We’re all wondering if (and hoping that) 2021 will be better than 2020. After all, 2021 can’t be any worse. It has to be better, right?
You were sure that this was going to be your year for finding true love. You were determined that you wouldn’t spend this Christmas alone. You thought you would definitely have someone to kiss under the mistletoe in 2020. But you wonder if you’ve lost your chance at finding someone to spend the rest of your life with.
You hear all the cheery greetings. You read them on cards, see them on decorations, and hear them in songs. And you feel all the emotions—both good and bad—that are attached to them.
But one thing hasn’t changed in five years: I still want to be a writer. And honestly, there's enormous hidden pressure on me to get a book deal, see my name on the front cover, and be famous. This pressure doesn’t come from my parents, sisters, or friends. It comes from my Try-Harder Self—and she’s the dogmatic, degrading, and demanding type.
Did I wish that I'd had a guy to sit next to during the fancy meal? Did I feel a little awkward as I danced beside my girlfriends during the slow dance? Did I think about the handsome guy on the dancefloor who was dancing oh-so-closely with his girlfriend? Yes, yes, and yes. But I survived, and you can survive, too. I truly believe that you can still enjoy your life, even without Prince Charming next to you.
Originally, I wanted these words to be song lyrics but then realized that they could become a poem. And as you read them, I want you to know that they're not just fluffy filler words. These words describe how I often fail and how I often feel as a result—but they also describe how faithful God is to forgive me. So while I'm not advocating habitual sin in this poem, I am advocating habitual returning to God's forgiveness.
In 2018 and 2019, I wrote about some things I wasn't thankful for at Thanksgiving. This Thanksgiving, there's one more thing I'm not thankful for that I want to share. I bet you can guess what it is.
Tizzie's Tidbits of Truth 