Being Single: Tis the Season of Winter

As of late, there have been quite a few people in my life that have tried to set me up with someone, encouraged me to start online dating, or just thought it was high time I not be single anymore. 

They really are all so sweet. They have the best of intentions and just want to see me end up with a great guy, and ultimately see me happy.

But the thing is, I'm as happy today as I have been in a long time!

Yeah, it would be fun to find a really great guy to share my life with, and someday I hope I do! But, even though it took me a while to appreciate being single, I am thoroughly enjoying it at this point in my life.

I had a pretty bad relationship that lasted entirely too long in college. Since being free of that relationship, I'm going to be honest, I'm not all that gung-ho on getting into another one.

So, lately when friends try to set me up with someone, I oblige, because its the polite thing to do. But, to be honest, I'm not ready to be in a relationship yet. I mean, I don't think I am. At least not with the men I've been meeting as of late.

All of this leads me up to today.

I attend a really great church. One that seems to have a message I specifically need to hear every time I go. We are working through a series called "Hitched" right now, and today's message was all about preparing oneself for marriage.

Pastor Jeff spoke about the three different seasons of preparing for marriage, but one really resonated with me today: the season of winter. It could be because he related this to farming, or because it's the season of my life that I am currently in, but he made some great points that really made sense.

Winter is a season of preparation.

In agriculture, the season of winter is a time where farmers prepare and get everything in order they will need come spring when they plant their crops. Winter season is when the soil is dormant, establishing deep roots to grow plants and flowers come spring.

In life, we also have a season of winter, where we can prepare and ready our hearts for a relationship someday.

Listening to Pastor Jeff's message today, I began to realize that maybe I never declared that I wanted to go through a season of winter in regards to dating, but that's pretty much what I've been doing. I also began to realize what a blessing this season of winter has been for me. 

I need a season of winter.

I need to take time to rid myself of the bad habits I formed in my last relationship. 

I need to re-connect with the happy person I was before I entered into the non-encouraging relationship I found myself in. 

I need to spend time figuring out what is important, what my hopes, dreams, and aspirations are. I need time to become confident in them so I can stand firm and not have to compromise them for a relationship.

I need to prepare.

This season of winter is the time in my life where God is readying me for a greater blessing, a great season of harvest someday, if you will.

Now is the time in my life where I can sink roots down deep spiritually and grow in my faith.

Because when it comes down to it, it isn't about finding the right person...it's about becoming the right person.

So I'm going to continue in this season of winter, and not look for spring to come too quickly. I want to make sure that my roots are deeply established so when I become the right person, and God blesses me with a great guy, I am ready. 


 ***If you're interested in hearing more of this message, you can watch it here.***