Single in the City

I watch a lot of "Friends" on dvd. Recently I have also gotten into "Sex and the City" on tv. (Before you judge me...its VERY censored on network tv, and its all about single women, so I can relate). In both of those shows the main characters were well into their 30's before they ever really thought about marriage. Rachel (played by Jennifer Aniston) had her first child at 33. The first character in Sex and the City to have a child was 37.

In real life, celebrities are having babies well into their late 30's and even early 40's. Halle Berry is 41 and having her first child. Jennifer Anitson is 38 and not ready to think about having a child. Jennifer Garner was 34 when she had her first child. Julia Roberts had twins at 37 and just had another child at 40.

So, why do people make me feel like an old maid for not being married at 27? I am 27!!! I mean seriously!!! Not to mention, I am really happy. I LOVE being single right now!! We had 80 kids at Kids Club tonight!!! We keep getting more and more kids each week, and we aren't really losing any. That's AWESOME! And, I'm having fun at Kids Club!! In my life, I get to do all kinds of things that I would never be able to do if I was married. I went to Africa for 3 weeks last winter. I wake up and go to bed when I want. I get to hang out with the greatest kids and teens in the world. I have 8 god children that I LOVE. This is NOT to say that marriage is less desirable to being single...I'm just saying that there are benefits to being single, and I am enjoying those benefits!

For the first time in my life, I choose pop culture over Christian culture. Pop culture tells me that I can be exactly who I am, married or single. Pop culture tells me that I am just as valuable as a single woman as I would be as a married woman.

Christian culture tells me that my highest calling is as a wife and/or a mom. Christian culture tells me that I am not fulfilling my calling as a woman as long as I am neither a wife nor a mom. Christian culture views single hood as purgatory...not quite hell but not nearly as good as heaven; or marriage.

I hate that. Its not even scriptural. It is very clear in scripture that God has a plan for wives and mothers...and for the rest of us. In fact, Paul says that single hood is the most desirable. So I'm going to ignore Christian culture, and embrace Pop culture...at least in this area. Really, I'm just going to ignore people and embrace God.

Things are NOT perfect right now, but I still love my life. I started biting my nails again, I have a ridiculous eye twitch that is probably from stress and I contracted some sort of poison ivy or something on my arm that is driving me crazy. I don't have time to do much for myself throughout the week. I want to go to the gym, but I am too exhausted in the mornings; I literally drag myself out of bed to get to work. And when I get home at night...exhausted. I am working about 60 hours a week and its not all things that I love to do. I don't leave my house until after 2 p.m. everyday, which means I don't see another human being until then...and in most cases, when I do interact with people its in a ministry capacity, not a friendship one. I'm alone a lot...not necessarily lonely, but definitely alone. And, I am still missing after-school, a lot. Things are not perfect..some things in my life need to change. Marriage will not change those things. And the bottom line is...even though things are hard, I love my life. I am exactly where I am supposed to be. Exactly where I want to be. And, slowly but surely, I am becoming the person I was created to be.

Should I want something else?