I really like this audio here. Sometimes its so very difficult for young ladies to find a happy medium in how to relate to the men in her life. I found this to be very encouraging & I do hope you also are encouraged. We need to be careful how we interact as women of the Almighty. Stressing friendliness vs. doing the pursuing ourselves I am encouraged by the notes & emails I get from young ladies who are struggling to make heads or tails on how to proceed in relationships. What is friendship? What is the "real" thing? How do we treat our brothers in Christ ect....
(Click on the audio below)
(Click on the audio below)
1. Are you open to change & what the Lord may bring your way, putting aside your own ambitions?
2. What steps can you take to keep busy & serve during these single years?
3. Are you working on your growth in Christ right now & working on your character in preparation for possible marriage & raising a family?
Ok, I just woke up, so I haven't had a chance to listen to this. HOWEVER I'll do my best to answer the questions. :)
ReplyDelete1. I am totally open to change. The Lord has placed me in a spot right now that, though I've perfectly content in my singleness, (really, it's a beautiful thing, ;) ) I also see a wide gaping hole. . .and my future totting somewhere on the brink. Inside that hole is an unknown world. Because as of now I have no idea what the future holds--what His plans are for me. What I'm supposed to do with my life. Oh, I have ideas. . .but honestly, right now there is a big, fat, WAIT.
So to answer the question YES I am open to just about anything. :)
2. Well, nannying for the past 6 years has been excellent training. Stressful, but excellent. ;) It's one thing taking care of your own siblings your whole life. . .but nannying (and/or babysitting,) takes childcare and housework to an entirely new level! It's learning to cope with endless situations. . .different personalities, different forms of training/punishment/NO punishment, etc. I've gotten a very good picture of what I want and DON'T want to do with my own children some day. ;) But. . .I've also learned a degree of patience (which you know, is huge for me, ;) ) and how to handle less-than-comfortable occurrences. Dealing with parents can be the most challenging part of nannying--usually the kids are fantastic. I've bonded with most of them very deeply. Parents on the other hand. . .can be difficult. But that's a whole 'nother story.
Serving within the home is also helpful. Its easy to look out at the big world and think, "but there's so much more!!" Maybe there is. But in this season of life I'm supposed to be home. And I'm learning to be ok with that. :) For myself, "usefulness" also comes from blogging (love encouraging and being encouraged by my little following of ladies!) and hosting the OSR every year. THAT is a huge ministry field. I've learned management, leadership, organization, etc, etc, etc. Event planning is very instrumental. . .and a way for me to give back to the homeschool community. :)
3. I try! My relationship with the Lord has become even more dear to me in the last couple of years. I had to go through some serious trials before finally stopping to say, "Ok Lord, this life is YOURS!" I've realized in a personal way that without Him I can do nothing. That He is my All in All. That He is REAL, living, breathing, and all powerful. It's intense, when He reveals Himself that way. It's also the most beautiful thing in the world. I'm looking forward every day to learning and growing in Christ. There's a long road ahead. . .but my Jesus is walking every step of the way with me. What more does one need?
Soooo. . .am I working on growth and character? Again, I try. I am human. I have sin just like everyone else. And I fail. . .very often. But I also understand that anything in my life right now will be taken into marriage--it's not some kind of magic spell that erases the past or cures all ills. ;) Right now is the time we as young ladies (AND young men!) need to be daily smoothing out those bumps. Dedication to God's Word and a Living relationship with Him (all while dying to self. . .interesting stuff,) is imperative.
Whew.
K, I rambled through these questions. You don't have to publish them, of course. . .since you know my answers already. But anyway. :P
1. Are you open to change & what the Lord may bring your way, putting aside your own ambitions?
ReplyDeleteYes, or at least I hope I would be! I've never had any "major" changes happen to me, but I know the older I get there's more chance of that happening. =)
Like Michaela, my future seems wide open and filled with a big "?", so while I'm a little apprehensive about what the future might hold, I'm mainly very excited about what God has in store for me! And where He leads, I will follow.
2. What steps can you take to keep busy & serve during these single years?
Learning to serve your family is great training! I've taken on a lot of the household work since I have the most free time, and I really enjoy it! I've been able to really work on my organizational skills, homemaking skills, etc. through this extra work I've taken on.
If you have trouble serving your family now, it won't get easier once you have a husband and few kids!
Learning to be a hard-worker, patient, kind,forgiving, are all important traits to work on. It will be easier to work on them now during your singleness than to have to work on them once your responsibilities multiply with marriage.
Other ways to keep busy and serve would be to find volunteer opportunities ( hoping to do more of that this summer), planning and organizing get-togethers for the families and youth in the area, ministry through blog, Facebook and e-mail with those you can't visit with in person ( I have some great friends through those means!)
and just being open to what God may want you to do during this unique time in your life.
3. Are you working on your growth in Christ right now & working on your character in preparation for possible marriage & raising a family?
Yes. God has really opened my eyes to see how huge of a responsibility marriage is ( even though I'm not married). If I can't joyfully serve my family now, I won't be able to joyfully serve any future spouse and family. I have areas that need work, but God has been showing me those areas and how I can work on them.
The most important thing is to just be open to God's teaching in your life. He'll show you the areas where you lack so that you can work on them.
I haven't listened to the audio yet - it sounds very interesting! I'll make sure to get to it later.
ReplyDeleteI love rereading comments and noticing all my beautiful typos. Yeah, I'm professional like that. "Totting". It's the new tottering. :P
ReplyDelete