The four of us women sat on the dock in the warm October sunlight; one of us married, her arms around her almost-two-year-old, the other three of us single. And in our quiet conversation, us single ladies were attempting to put into words what we wanted our married friend to know. She so kindly wanted… Continue reading But a Spouse Will Satisfy That Longing
Ten years ago, the list of her hungers had been rather long. Tonight, her list had been reduced to one simple thing: She hungered to be held. She hungered to be surrounded by the strong, protective arms of a man who knew her soul well and cherished it. She longed to be held in a… Continue reading She Hungered to be Held
In the past, I’ve written about the difficulties of the Christmas season for single people (see When You’re Tired of the Waiting this Christmas and When Part of Your Heart Feels Dark this Christmas). Those moments will probably never go away while we’re single because the ache and longing to have our own families during… Continue reading Five Holiday Traditions to Start as a Single Person
Life is not a fairy tale. Wishes don’t come true on command. Princes don’t show up on cue. Happy endings aren’t guaranteed. And singing animals don’t flock About princesses in captivity. Life—real life—is messy and broken. Sometimes you’re weeping into your pillow, Staring out the window at bleak prospects, Praying the same tired prayers… Continue reading Life is Not a Fairy Tale
In a season of hoping in my life, I wrote the following prayer. And if you are in a season of hoping right now—praying—longing—wondering—I pray these words would encourage your heart and help you center your hoping in Christ himself. He hears all our prayers. His sovereign love and grace are guiding our lives. We… Continue reading A Prayer for Those Hoping for Love
I ask you, oh Lord, To shape my desires According to the cross. Let me not demand That my desires Be met according To my ways and my time. Rather, take these desires— Sweet as they may be— And make of them Something far sweeter As I learn to trust you In the… Continue reading Shape My Desires According to the Cross
There I sat, sipping cinnamon-laced foam by myself at the coffee shop, tracing the grooves in the wooden table, gazing out the windows at cloudy skies—and my first instinct was disappointment at a friend’s unexpected interruption to our plans. But then I sat there with fingers clasped around the warm mug and forced myself to… Continue reading He is Sovereign in the Delays
She held secrets that no one else knew about— Delightfully fanciful secrets of her quiet, inner life— Where she would dream dreams about the future, Hold wistful trysts over past memories, And get lost in joyful moments of the present. She was at home with herself And pleasantly satisfied with her own company, For… Continue reading The One Who Would Enter that Sacred Space
The other morning, I read a quote about motherhood on Pinterest. And my heart broke a little because of the ache within it to carry out that quote. In quiet desperation, I cried out to the Lord, “Why can’t that be me right now? I would give anything to pour my heart and soul into… Continue reading Until the Assignment Changes
“What’s your type?” people might ask those in the dating pool. Or, “He’s just not my type,” a girl might say in response to why she’s not interested in someone. Or, as some junior high boys told me recently, “Girls at this age don’t care about personality. They just care about hotness” (the girls might… Continue reading Do You Have a “Type”?
The Vintage Girl 