We are part of a national prayer chain for singles desiring marriage, and receive a weekly reminder and blog from the leadership group. Today's article is a heartfelt confession of the frustrations of one of these singles. I'm sure that many of you can identify with Heidi's feelings. Be sure to write to fast.pray@gmail.com to join this important prayer group!
"If you are like me as a single person, on the days/years that singleness was not a "gift" and felt like terminal condition, I struggled with anger, jealousy and despair. Do you ever feel just plain mad? Like something is terribly broken and wrong outside of me. I look around and there are legions of smart, fun, attractive women and a seeming dearth of men who match them. Like something in the culture broke somewhere and those of us that didn't meet our soulmate in college are left holding the bag many years later. Something feels unjust about this as you do your best to remain obedient to God--wondering what the heck is the point/reward in that?!
Or maybe you have days that you look around you and it seems like all kinds of people seem to get married all over the place...smart people, dumb people, unattractive people etc. Why is this so easy for so many, and yet so difficult for me? And your younger siblings beat you to the altar, the kid you babysat for 100 years ago is somehow engaged and your efforts to subdue the green monster become a full time job.
As if anger and jealousy weren't enough, bewilderment and despair can join the quartet and the lies that you know aren't true, assault you...God has forgotten me, I need to just love him more/work harder and he will give this to me, I am alone, something is wrong with me, I just don't understand.
You are probably a stronger person than I am and haven't struggled with all these emotions, but the most powerful antidote I've discovered (in addition to good friends, active/healthy habits etc) is finding the truth in scripture and clinging to it. God has ministered to me lately in the following two passages from Jeremiah:
"I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is there anything too hard for me?" Jeremiah 32:27
"This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it--the Lord is his name: Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know." Jeremiah 33:2-3
With the truth in hand as a weapon against anger, jealousy and despair, I'm writing to encourage us to pray as God invites us in Jeremiah. Knowing that nothing is too hard for him and he promises an answer to things we don't know when we call, let's pray together this Monday, during what would be lunch (or whatever time you can fast) for 1) marriages for those who want to be married, 2) courage for men to walk upright and into marriage, and 3) a willingness for women to see where they (we) need to change for the sake of healthy marriages to emerge.
So grateful that our God is a powerful God - Heidi"
Here's a bit of hope for you: Last night we received word of an engagement of one of our couples who have been long-distance dating from Michigan to Georgia! Stay tuned for the full story!
Have a great week and remember to keep your eyes on Almighty God, who is able to do exceedingly and abundantly more than we can ever hope or imagine!
~ Linda
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