Can Singleness Really Be Sacred?-Introduction

I am so, So, SOSOSOSO excited introduce this new series on singleness with you all! Just to clarify-
FOR THIS SERIES: ALL QUOTED MATERIAL WILL BE ITALICIZED.
I just think that will make it easier to differentiate my words versus the people I am quoting (and there will be quite a few quotes let me tell you!)


I am currently reading an amazing book by Leslie Ludy called "Sacred Singleness" and have been so blessed with it that I have decided to start a series ,based on the book, highlighting the main points of each chapter and then including my own personal findings. I have not really written on the subject of singleness lately but I was one of the people that was certain I would be married at 18 and pregnant at 19 :) Well I am 19 and neither of those have come to pass and God has seen fit to make it so that there really are not any prospects right now. Until a few weeks ago I had allowed discontentment to creep into my heart and instead of living a victorious single life for my Lord I was living a mediocre one that was causing a lot of compromise. So I CHOSE to not live like that anymore and asked Him to take away the discontentment and all the problems it was causing and replace it with a spirit of complete surrender and trust in the fact that HE IS IN CONTROL! I was content to just wait around but now…I really believe that the Lord has called me to minister to others via missions. I am going to school for nursing. I am planning a short terms mission trip. I am ministering to other single girls. Does this mean that I am not lonely sometimes…yeah I am but…those are the times that I just have to surrender it once again to my Lord trusting in His timing and CHOOSE to live each day faithfully fulfilling the callings He has for my life right now as a single girl and reading this book has really encouraged me in that as I hope it will encourage you.

God has been taking me on quite a journey this past year especially in regards to singleness. In a post dated Wednesday, February 11, 2009 I wrote these words:

One thing that I have always wanted to be is a wife and mother. The Lord started asking me a few months ago if HE was enough for me. The sad thing was that for the longest time He was not. When I truly surrendered my ALL to Him however He did become enough.

"Lady in Waiting
is not about finding the right man,
but becoming the right woman.
The lady in waiting
recklessly abandons herself
to the Lordship of Christ,
diligently uses her single days,
trusts God with unwavering faith,
demonstrates virtue in daily life,
loves God with UNRESTRICTED devotion,
stands for physical and emotional purity,
lives in security,
responds to life in contentment,
makes choices based on her convictions,
and waits patiently for God
to meet her needs."

The whole waiting patiently for God to meet my needs...yeah, God is so faithful and I am in just in awe that He would love and care for someone like me :) So I am purposing in my heart to continue to live each and every single second of my day for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ but ALSO waiting patiently on Him for His timing of things. I am so grateful I serve a patient God!

I absolutely love that poem! The thought of loving God with UNRESTRICTED DEVOTION. WOW what an AWESOME thought! To be able to look back on our single years and be able so say that we lived those years with UNRESTRICTED DEVOTION to the Lord!

Is that even possible? I mean I have asked that question a million times in the past year especially.

CAN SINGLENESS REALLY BE A SACRED AND JOY-FILLED TIME? I mean so often it can be so hard and lonely watching others pair off and being well...alone. Can even that time be sacred and joy-filled?

The simple answer...

YES IT CAN!

So here comes the next question:

HOW?

The simple answer...

God has made us for Himself and our hearts can never know rest and perfect satisfaction until they find it in HIM. (Hannah Hurnard)

It is all about HIM! In HIM ALONE can that void in our hearts be filled. In HIM ALONE. I absolutely love this poem and I know that I have shared it with you all before but another time won't hurt I don't think:

On His Plan For Your Mate
Everyone longs to give themselves completely to someone, to have a deep soul relationship with another, to be loved thoroughly and exclusively.

But God says to a Christian, "No, not until you are satisfied and fulfilled and content with living, loved by me alone, with giving yourself totally and unreservedly to me alone. I love you, my child, and until you discover that only in me is your satisfaction to be found, you will not be capable of the perfect human relationship that I have planned for you. You will never be united with another until you are united with me, exclusive of anyone or anything else, exclusive of any other desires or longings.

"I want you to stop planning, stop wishing, and allow me to give you that most thrilling plan existing, one that you can't imagine. I want you to have the BEST! Please allow me to bring it to you. You just keep watching me, expecting that satisfaction, expecting the greatest things, and know that I Am. Keep learning and listening to the things I tell you. You must wait!

"Don't be anxious. Don't worry. Don't look around at the things others have received. Don't look at the things you think you want. You just keep looking off and away up to me, or you'll miss what I want to show you.

"And then, when you're ready, I'll surprise you with a love far more wonderful than you would ever imagine. You see, until you are ready and until the one I have for you is ready (I am working this very minute to have both of you ready at the same time), until you are both satisfied exclusively with me and the life I have planned and prepared for you, you won't be able to experience the love that exemplifies your relationship with me...and this is perfect love.

"Dear one, I want you to have this most wonderful love. I want you to see in the flesh a picture of your relationship with me and to enjoy materially and concretely the everlasting union of beauty and perfection and love that I offer you with myself. Know that I love you utterly, I am God Almighty. Believe and be satisfied."

--Author Unknown

To be satisfied with JESUS CHRIST alone...wow...what a glorious thought :) And that is what we will be studying in the upcoming segments SO PLEASE STICK AROUND! :)

In the meanwhile I wanted to share with you an article (it has two parts) from YLCF that REALLY encouraged me and got me thinking:

Marriage Is Not My Highest Calling-Part 1
Marriage Is Not My Highest Calling-Part 2

DEFINITELY RECOMMEND THOSE LINKS AS MUST READS!!

And last but certainly not least I would love to direct you over to one of my newest blogging friends Katie. She is the author of a really amazing blog called God Will Bless Those Who Wait which is described as "Thoughts for those who have decided to wait on God and trust Him for their mate." It is really been encouraging to me and I am sure will encourage all of you :)

So are you ready to start on this journey? I am! I truly have been shying away from mentioning ANYTHING about being single but lately I have just had this new FREEDOM and I really believe that the Lord wants me to share it with all of you :)

Let the journey begin...

Miss any part of the series? Read them here:
Can Singleness Really Be Sacred?-Chapter 1
Can Singleness Really Be Sacred?-Chapter 2
All Good Things Must Come To An End