Thoughts on singleness and dating and other relational things...

Today I sat and visited with two of my closest friends. They have both been married over 5 years and have multiple children. Our conversation went in and out of topics like children and pregnancy and other things and then it shifted to dating and singleness. It got me pondering....so here is my ponderings. 

There are blogs and posts floating around about how I kissed Dating Goodbye has hurt a generation of people. In someways it was an extreme, yes. But in a messy culture, well...there are no easy answers. As a young 16 year old, freshly broken up with a boy I was ready and willing to do something different. And so, I kissed it good bye...sort of. I actually just said "Jesus I give you the reigns to my relational life." 

Now 17 years later, I have a lot more perspective and am also so grateful. I live with no regrets. I didn't kiss it goodbye and then sit on my hands and wait in my house. I looked to Jesus. There was a season... Where I really struggled and it took some convincing from The Lord to get me into Missions still single. (Though I knew without a shadow do a doubt He wanted me there). But the bottom line is, where better to be then doing what you want to do with your life and ultimately, being in the place God wants you to be? 

It's not really about being single or dating or married or courting or any labels we put on anything. We are actually just called to Relationship. Relationship with God and out of that, relationship with others. My relationship with God- listening to him and walking with him actually gives me the ability to Trust Him with all the rest of it. 

Do I want to be married? Sure! Do I mind being single? No... Do I sometimes wish I was in a different season by now? Don't we all? If you ask me tomorrow, it might be one of those days. Elisabeth Elliott said to treat each day of singleness like a gift. It was good advice....let's treat every day of our lives like a gift and not wish them away looking for something better. Each day has it's glories and it's troubles. It's just a whole lot easier to walk each one of them arm and arm with God the Father! 

I think that's all for now... 

The Wooden Chair

When I was just a little girl, I'd close my eyes to pray. And there I'd see the Father sitting in a wooden chair. When I would speak He'd lean to listen and hear what I would say. 

I'm older now and thought that I somehow had a strange imagination as a child. Imagine God of the universe...not on a throne but on a wooden chair. So I laughed it off and as I prayed I wanted to see God on His throne. it's beautiful there. Surrounded by gardens and a big beautiful stone wall. And He is so inviting. 

But the most beautiful place is still the wooden chair. Even now my eyes are filling up with tears. You see someone shared a story- a vision of another, of Jesus in His favorite place upon a wooden chair. The chair was in a little room called "the weeping room". It was found deep in the house of God, within the intimacy room. A simple room, accessible by trapdoor. Here He looks out at the world and sees and hears every cry. He sees all the brokenness and hurt and pain. 

You know why it makes me cry too? I've seen the things that make Him weep. The bars and redlights, the poor and destitute, empty idol worship, divorce, unforgiveness, anger, orphans...it pains me. But what makes me weep all the more? When I was just a little child, in the midst of all He saw...when I would open my mouth to pray, He leaned in to listen. We matter so much to Him, I can't get over it. And now...again when I close my eyes to pray. This is where I see Him...and I know I can go in there with Him. 

You can read the whole vision here: 

http://www.whitedoveministries.org/index.cfm?zone=Docs/Prophetic%20Words/PWTheWeepingRM.htm&page=Articles