I just read the Current Feature Article from Christian Singles Today and, like the author, talking about these issues evoked mixed emotions in me.

On the one hand there are instances where the church ignores singles. I wrote about this for our life group recently when I was trying to summarize the vision of 30 something for the group. (The official vision can be found here).

On the other hand I think that sometimes we tend to put ourselves into smaller and smaller boxes so that our negative feelings can find some justification. After all God created us all differently and if we add enough qualifiers we can find a point of difference with anyone. It's a balancing act: not too much of one or the other.

God has been challenging me lately to give it all to Him and let things come as they may (as you may have gathered from my previous blog post). I'm trusting Him to give of His abundant store of comfort and grace with impeccable timing, both directly and through others, so that I can concentrate on doing the work that he has called me to do despite those periods of intense lonliness and isolation.
posted by Peter at 4:19 PM
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It's familiar. You've heard it all before, time after time. The same people, the same words, the same exhortations, time after time. At first you took notice. The ideas were new, they made sense, they resonated in your spirit, they dragged you in and you were committed. For a time. Was it too hard? Did life intrude and drive what you heard away? Did you let the guilt at not following through scare thinking about it away to the corners of your mind? No matter. It probably wasn't important anyway. But you heard it again. God came calling and brought His message another time. And you thought to yourself, oh, yes, I was going to do something about that wasn't I. But then it was easier. Easier to let it slide. Easier to let the habits of the sinful nature that Satan was already encouraging to grow in your heart come and smother your conscience and the call of God in a blanket of forgetfulness and apathy. So much easier. And deep down below the smothering layers your soul cries out for the truths of God. But you don't hear, not anymore. Now there are just the same people, the same words, the same exhortations, time after time. Flowing in one ear and out the other is the path of least resistance. A solution. Of sorts. For a time.

All of those people. How could they believe what they do? How could those truths be what they say they are? They must be faking it. Telling lies to keep up appearances. They're not like me. They don't understand. I don't know who they think they are anyway, carrying on like they do. And all those people who believe them, deluded at best. I know better. Better for me to look after myself, they obviously don't have a clue. And deep down below the smothering layers your soul cries out for the truths of God. But you don't hear, not anymore.

But what if those familiar words are true? What if they still have the power to affect my life? What if I took them at face value once more? What if there were others who could walk with me as I followed them, partners on the road? What if?

A crossroads.

Loving Saviour forgive me. Forgive me for becoming familiar with your truths. Take this desert of a heart that has become so hard and by your grace plough and plant your word once again. Here I submit the weeds to you. Take them. Burn them. I don't want to see them anymore. Help me to till the soil again so that I might receive your word and bear fruit as you intended. Oh Lord help me to remember your truths, to cherish them, to be accountable for following them so that I might know your peace and light and bring glory to your kingdom.
posted by Peter at 4:54 PM
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