Song of my Life

You like how admitting that I'm crazy brings out all the comments? Seriously, I haven't had this many comments in who knows how long. Geez, guys. Thanks.

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Two posts ago, I wrote about how much better post-college single life has turned out than I ever thought possible. The next day, I got an email that this article had been posted on Boundless Webzine, a publication of Focus on the Family. I highly encourage you to read it and then comment, single and married alike.

If you read my post, you probably already know how I feel about that article. In turn, I'm not a huge fan of Focus on the Family anymore, either. This isn't the first time they've printed an article like this. You can check out the first one here, and a companion article here. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, though. If not for marriage, there would be no family to focus on.

What I do know, though, is that articles like this- intended to chastise we singles into marriage- aren't going to accomplish their purpose. They only serve to upset, which definitely isn't building us up or encouraging us. It's things like this that have turned me away from "religion" throughout the past year. It's groups of people choosing the things they want to choose from the Bible to back up their agenda. Forget the fact that the Lord has a perfect plan for me. Forget the fact that the Lord is preparing both my future husband and I for marriage. Forget the fact that the Lord plays any part in it at all...except of course to take his word and use it as a weapon to beat us into submission.

The opening line of this article asks if singleness is biblical, then goes on to proclaim boldly that it isn't. Strangely enough, much of this article isn't even about biblical truth, but just comparing today to yesterday. From that question she launches almost immediately into a historical account of marriage vs. singleness. I'm thankful for my yesterday, but if I don't progress from there, what good am I doing? True, Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, but when my yesterday doesn't line up with his way, should I remain in it? I think not. I'm going to follow Jesus. Did he command us all to be married by 25? I don't think so. I'm pretty sure he was still single at 33.

Of course the author adds in the obligatory "No offense to you single women" paragraph at the end. "Poor pitiful you." "It's not your fault you're single." "You're basically just helpless and should wait around to be rescued." Gag me. True that I should wait, but while I'm waiting I'm not going to pity myself. I'm going to trust the Lord to bring me a partner who complements me perfectly in my journey to him.

I guess what I'm really trying to say through this all is for us to just leave it up to the Lord. Seek him first, and he will bless you! Is marriage something worthy of being pursued? Most definitely! Do I want to get married? Yes, please! But do I want to marry a man who decides to spring into action because of some single-bashing article written and posted on the internet? Heck no! I want to marry a man who seeks the Lord with ALL of his heart, who places me second to the Lord, and who pursues a relationship with me purely because he believes that it is the Lord's plan for him.

I'm sorry to rant on and on about singleness this past week, but it's something I feel passionately about. I will be willing to give up my single state at the very time the Lord leads me out of it, but until then, I will be happy with where he is using me and what he is doing in me right now.