Time and Space to Grow

The days are passing by so quickly, and it is hard to believe that March is already here. With so much going on in my life, it is now a rare thing for me to take the time to sit down and write on my blog.

Due to my lack of motivation in working on some class assignments, I thought I would share an old email with you. As you've probably gathered from most of my blog entries, I am single :) and enjoying all that God has brought to me this year. Yes, there are those lonely days, but I try my best to not let it get me down. Since I stopped using eHarmony I've gotten many comments about how some of my blog readers miss hearing my stories, and although I got a good laugh out of it as well, I know it is what I needed to do. There are many more stories that I haven't posted, so if you want a good laugh, just ask!

So as I mentioned, I wanted to share an old email with you. I know it's dated because it was printed out from my hotmail account, which I closed almost ten years ago. An old high school friend sent it to me, and as I look at everyone else she sent it to, I find it quite ironic that I think I'm the only single one left in the bunch!

I think there are a lot of good points in it and even if you are not single, it will hopefully make you think!

"All your life, you had specific dreams about what your family life would be like when you finally married. You were so intent on what you wanted, you even made a list of qualities and characteristics you were looking for in a spouse, in a home, in your job, in your children. But time passed, and that person you were so intent on didn't come along.

All of your friends married, had children, had beautiful homes, and still you were single. You prayed and prayed for that person to come along, but nothing happened. You had a good job. You served in your church. You spent daily time with the Lord in prayer and studying the Word. You dedicated your life to serving God in every way possible, but still nothing.

So you decided to take matters into your own hands, and you began an active search for a mate. Within a short period, you met someone who almost fit the bill. Almost. Sure, there were a few things missing, a few rusty spots in that person's character, but, after all, no one is perfect.

Of course, your friends and your pastor tried to council you that you were making a poor choice and that you should wait for the Lord to send the right person. But that couldn't be right. You had waited for a long time. Maybe your goals were too high. Maybe you'd been asking for the impossible. Maybe this was the person God wanted for you so your character could grow through dealing with his or her failings. So you married. And your life went downhill from there. Even though it often seems that God is slow to answer prayers, no matter whether it's about a mate, or a job, our children, our finances, or antyhing else, we have to remember that God doesn't wear a watch. Nor does he look at our human calendars. He sees with eternal eyes. He operates on an eternal timetable, according to His plans and His schedule. If God seems to be running late, don't get impatient and run ahead of him. Wait for the Lord's timing in everything.

To the single folks out there, this is for you:
Single means you have the time to grow and be the person you want to be. Single gives you space to grow. Sometimes, it is harder to grow when you are too close to someone. Trees are planted far apart so they can spread their branches and become strong as they mature.

Single means learning to live by yourself. However, that is no more difficult than learning to live with somebody else. Single means freedom. You are free to spend a week's vacation on the beach, to take computer courses, to work late on an interesting project, or to spend the day in bed with a good book.

Single means learning not to need a man/woman to make your life meaningful, but learning to live with a man/woman because you want to be with him/her. Single means that sometimes you will wonder why you will bite your lip and feel wistful and wonder if marriage is better. Ironically, yet quite happily, single is feeling good about being in control of you life. It is liking and respecting who you are and why you are.

Single is realizing that being married is not necessarily better, it is merely different. Single means that there could be something wonderful around the corner and you can take advantage of it.

Single means you are free to love again. There are times when we are afraid of telling the person, whom we love or like, what we feel deep inside because we might just lose them. That's a big risk...I know, but hey....everything is. The way I see it is why keep something inside and then end up regretting it in the near future? But as I've said...everything is a big risk. So whatever you decide to do with your feelings...whether you tell it to that person or not...you have to be ready with the consequences that come after it and accept it.

Whatever decisions that you have made in life is part of your growing experience...part of life. Whatever decisions that you have to make will influence or affect your future. So think hard before deciding on certain things...and PRAY to God and HE will show you the way!"

I found this email to be quite interesting and a bit ironic that I found it today, while cleaning out some old boxes at my mom's house. God is sure speaking to me through many different avenues - I pray he is speaking to you.