Single-Minded, Part Six

Thank you to all who have contributed to our Single-Minded series! It has been a joy to see the many ways in which God has been working in the lives of young women who are wholly devoted to Him. You have been an active part in ‘spurring one another on to love and good works’, and that’s what YLCF is about. We appreciate not only your honesty, but the integrity of your example.

And that goes for all of you, whether you’ve added your voice to this particular discussion or not. You are a host of God’s handmaidens, an unseen company of faithful servants, and it is our privilege here to stand by the side of the track cheering you on as you ‘press toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus’. May He refresh your hearts for the race ahead.

Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.

Hosea 6:3

from Sarah Anne:

I do thank the Lord over and over for the opportunities He has given me to serve Him in my singleness. In 2004 the Lord began to stir my heart about being involved in a ministry specifically encouraging single ladies, yet I could not find one. Then the Lord led me to start a ministry of my own. So, five years ago Ladies In Waiting was born! LIW was started with the purpose of being an encouragement to single ladies, encouraging them to grow in their love for the Lord and serve Him instead of “sitting around” waiting for “Prince Charming” to show up. We publish e-magazines and I enjoy personal contact with the ladies too! This ministry has been a great delight and privilege to lead and get to know the ladies who become members!

Another privileged opportunity that the Lord has given me to serve Him is being a nanny to a couple of little munchkins. It is a great blessing, yet also a challenge, to have the opportunity to share my Lord with them. I enjoy teaching them Bible stories and songs, and also teaching them Biblical principles. Watching kids has taught me so many lessons, I think the biggest one being patience…that thing we all don’t get along with most of the time. Also, being a nanny is the greatest “mommy school” you can go to!

Yet, by far the most important thing that has helped me in my singleness is having a growing relationship with the Lord. I have to make sure that I am spending a good amount of time with my Lord each morning, or it’s harder for me to be content the rest of the day, because I am not seeing things through my Lord’s eyes, but mine. When I don’t have my eyes fixed on the Lord, it’s really hard to be content as a single and almost impossible to keep the dam of tears from breaking. With my eyes fixed on my Lord, my struggle with contentment is easier to deal with. Yes, there are always times that we just need a good cry, but let us not have a continual pity-party and not be able to whole-heartedly serve our Lord and others. The verses that are the most encouraging to me with my single struggles are 1 Corinthians 7:34-35 “The woman who is unmarried, and the virgin, is concerned about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy in both body and spirit; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how she may please her husband. This I say for your own benefit; not to put a restraint upon you, but to promote what is appropriate and to secure undistracted devotion to the Lord.”

from Rebekah:

I know in my heart that my identity is in Christ; that the most important thing always is following Jesus and telling others about him and the good news that he offers. This is the number one thing, whether you are married or single and in it there is joy. I am not sure that God ever promises us “happiness”. He gives joy certainly- and trusting him with something painful like singleness (and it goes without saying there are many other situations and burdens that are painful) is a path to growth.

And even when I don’t “feel” all of this (and I admit I don’t really feel it just now), it is still true.

Thankfulness is what turns me away from looking inward and being self-pitying. And what do I have to be thankful for? Where does my joy come from? (The medic in me needs to write a list) :

There is joy found, in reading God’s Word.
There is joy in a friendship with a family, where you place bricks in the wall of relationship, look after their children, read good books together, and share such Good News.
There is joy in framing a Bible story so it is understood by my Sunday School Class.
There is joy (for me) in making the right diagnosis, offering the right medicine and seeing a patient recover!
There is joy in playing the piano, reading Jane Eyre, listening to a poetry programme, in rest and quietness and trust.
There is joy found in Christ and being in Him.

from Essie:

I like to think that God will bring me my husband as I go on doing His will for my life – and how wonderful if my future husband is heading down the same road as me, with the same calling. So, while I would like to get married some day (hopefully not toooo far away!), I am quite content at the moment seeking God’s will, going where He leads me, and learning so much about life that I pray will be a blessing I can give to a husband one day. For me, this is taking the form of training to be a doctor.

from Jen:

I had always hoped to be married by the time I was 25 years old. I turned 26 last October. However, 25 wound up being the best year of my life to date (although 26 is turning out pretty amazing also!) Last January, I had the incredible opportunity to go to a lesser-known city in Russia to help the church there host a winter leadership conference for young adults.

I saw God moving in that city and among the Russian young adults (believers and non-believers both–He is drawing some of those non-believers to Himself!!) I fell in love with the people there and spent a significant chunk of time throughout the past year keeping in touch with my new friends via vKontakte (“Russian Facebook”) and e-mail. I also committed to pray for my new friends every day.

This year, I was blessed beyond compare with the opportunity to return to my beloved city and see almost all of my Russian friends again–to see how God has been working in their lives and even to meet new sisters who now believe as a result of God’s work in their hearts at the conference last year!

I am so priveleged to have been invited by God to take part in His work there: to pray and then to see Him answer those prayers in ways that are beyond my wildest imaginings…and to see Him orchestrate everything just so.

I still work my 9-5 job in the real world and struggle to find signifcance in the work that I do; I struggle to truly work as though unto the Lord, but I’m learning. I am so grateful to have my job, which I actually somewhat enjoy and am good at, but I’m most grateful for God revealing Himself to me more and more (especially through my newest obsession–inductive Bible study!)

Слава Богу! (For those of you who don’t have a Cyrillic font installed, that says Slava Bogu! –Praise God!)

Note: If you missed the other parts of the series, you can find them here:

Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Part Five