Today’s question for discussion: “How do I know if it’s God’s plan for me to get married or not?”
The background photo for today is a screenshot of my weather app from Wednesday of this week. The smoke has been so heavy for so long! This week has been by far the worst!
It has been so hard to breathe! We all have had headaches. A weird heaviness has sat in our chest like a pile of rocks! We’ve lost concentration … it has been so hard to think clearly. We’ve had bizarre exhaustion which has made us want to just lay down and fall asleep.
The smoke has been hanging heavy in the air for the entire month of September … and all the way through the month of October. No blue sky. No wind. No air movement. Just a heavy stillness … and always the heaviness of smoke.
This past week, as the air quality levels rose to hazardous levels, it was strange to zoom out on my weather app and see that the entire rest of the country had perfectly fine air. No one anywhere else had to worry about being able to breathe.
No one knew what was going on here, in our far-off corner. And no one cared.
This is often what it feels like to be “single.” It seems as if the entire rest of the world is a world of “marrieds” and “couples.” To be a “single” feels about like being in a far-off corner … that no one even thinks about. To be “single” feels as if no one cares.
It’s discouraging to be suffocating in smoke when the rest of the world doesn’t know and doesn’t care. So also, it’s hard and really discouraging to be “single” in a world where everyone is “married” or “couples” … and no one cares.
The question that consumes the mind is: When will the smoke go away?? When will we ever be able to breathe fresh air again??
So also, as a “single” the question which consumes the mind is: When will God bring someone special into my life?? Does God have a plan for me to get married??
The answer to this question is the same … whether for the smoke, or for being “single” … and it is that we don’t know. We have not known when the smoke will go away. We have hoped. We have longed for fresh air. But there was nothing we could do. Only God has the power to bring the rain. Only God has the power to bring the wind. There’s simply nothing we can do but sit and wait … and trust. Trust that God will take care of us in the smoke. Trust that God will give us the breath to breathe, even when it feels like we can’t.
So also, it is the same when it comes to the question of whether or not God’s plan is for marriage. We can hope. We can long. But there is nothing we can do. Only God has the power to bring the certain special person into our life. Only God has the power to bring about marriage for us. There’s’ simply nothing we can do but sit and wait … and trust. Trust that God will give us the strength to live as a Godly “single” for Him, even when it feels like we can’t.
This morning we woke up to fresh air. Overnight the smoke cleared, and the air is now back to normal again. It was God. God did that! As you look at this screenshot of the smoke from this past week, this right here is what it feels like to be “single.” This is exactly what it feels like to be “single.”
If God has chosen to allow “smoke” to settle into your area … and life feels so heavy being a “single” … know that God will sustain you! God will give you the “air” to breathe!
Trust! Trust God for the strength! Trust God to bring “rain.” But if not … live for God in the “smoke” no matter what. God will be with you and provide for your every need … even there!
“The LORD is my strength … my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped.” – Psalm 28:7
“The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life.” – Job 33:4
