A few months ago, I was at the the first international True Woman Conference, Mujer Verdadera '15, when Dannah Gresh surprised her translator, Jeanine (a missionary to Taiwan), with a tiny gift.
Small But Powerful
The size of the gift was minuscule, but its impact was enormous, and it brought the audience to tears, prayer, and worship. It was a holy moment not just for Jeanine, but also for every woman who was single in the room.
Experience this moment for yourself and watch this short video clip:
Dannah captured two things that I think are really important for us to acknowledge as single women:
- She affirmed a woman's desire for marriage as a good thing.
- She affirmed the gift of singleness as a good thing.
Two Sides of a Coin
Both the desire for marriage and the gift of singleness are good, real, and a gift from God who does all things well.
These two issues are like two sides of a coin. Both are good. And I believe that both are necessary to make a complete "coin." In many ways the natural desire for marriage and the joyful embracing of the gift of singleness brings balance to a single woman's life. The desire for marriage can help us keep an "open hand" to seasons of change (if God wants to gift us with marriage) and the gift of singleness can help us fervently pursue our Heavenly Husband—the Lover of our souls—in undistracted devotion.
Both the desire for marriage and the gift of singleness are good, real, and a gift from God who does all things well.
So if you're experiencing the gift of singleness today, don't try and "return" it. Embrace it, and invest it for God's glory!
PS: You can hear a little more of Jeanine's story here.
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