Everywhere I've turned for the last couple weeks it seems I'm looking at another reminder of my singleness. That happens every year around Valentine's Day. With all the focus on love and romance, it's inevitable.
And when I'm reminded of it in every store I walk into, I start seeing other reminders of it in the rest of my life. Like last night . . . a great supper out with my sisters and their husbands. I usually don't even think about it when I'm with them. Except for last night - as I was the one climbing into my car alone as we left, I was reminded again that I'm single.
It's not that I don't like my life. I love lots of things about my life and most of the time these days I know I'll have nothing to complain about if things stay the way they are. The desire to be married is there, but it doesn't take over my life to the point I miss out on what God has for me now. Usually, I don't notice or care about the reminders that I'm single.
But, there does come a time when there are just enough reminders of my singleness in a short time that they can begin to take over. The weeks leading up to Valentine's Day can be one of those times.
I don't share this because I want sympathy or pity from others. In the midst of this, God has taught me a lot. As I've wrestled with this - how to be content with my life as it is now, while not giving up on a desire to be married one day - God has taught me much about surrendering to Him and trusting He has a plan.
Coming to that point hasn't been an easy process. At first, I thought that surrendering that would mean I would for sure never get my desire.
God hasn't promised that He will fulfill all our desires if we surrender them to Him, but He has promised to meet us in the midst of them and to give us what He in store for us if we'll trust Him. God's plan might not always be our plan; in fact, it can often be different. But, I've learned that God's plan is always best.
Surrendering to God doesn't mean it's suddenly all easy and we won't struggle anymore. The last couple of weeks and seemingly constant reminders of my singleness are proof of that. It hasn't been easy, but I've take those struggles to God and He's met me in them.
I don't know what my future holds in this area of my life. I don't know what God's plan is. But I do know that it is much easier to deal with unmet desires and the curves life throws my way when I'm choosing to surrender to God's plan for my life, rather than trying to force mine to happen.
What is that thing in your life that you are struggling with? What is that one thing you aren't sure you want to surrender to God?
Are you willing to surrender it and allow God to meet you in it?
