Spending Time Alone

What I am about to suggest to you is revolutionary! Something I thought I could never do, but have come to truly enjoy! Are you ready for it? 

GO OUT BY YOURSELF!

I know... I know... You don't want to look like a weirdo all by yourself. You don't want to be that single girl sitting at a table for one. And you definitely don't want to go shopping by yourself! So you call your girlfriends and if they are all busy you stay home sad and depressed!

BE LIBERATED! You do not need to stay home when all of your friends have something to do! You can go out on your own! 

A very wise woman has told me for many years that she wanted me to live alone before I got married. I thought that would never be possible. I thought that I would be to scared or that I wouldn't be able to sleep. She kept telling me that I needed to get my own walk with God, to learn that I could be alone, and to be okay with it. She said that for my whole life I relied on my family and friends, I had to learn to rely on God. I knew she was right, but I didn't like it. If I learned to be alone, would that mean I would be alone forever? I know it sounds silly, but I didn't want God to know that I was capable of living for Him as a single for the rest of my life. I didn't want to admit to myself that I was! If I did I thought it meant I would never get married. I knew this was something I had to conquer.

 Since last October, I have been living in my one bedroom condo...ALONE. Living alone has forced me to spend time alone. 

I have gotten to know myself too. Does that sound weird to you? It sounded weird to me. But it is so true. I had to face some things in my personality that I didn't like. For one thing, I am extremely organized, and I do not like when things interrupt my plans. I got so organized, that when my plans changed, I got upset! I had to work on that. How did I do that? I purposely made plans and changed them. Sounds insane, but it helped me! I am also an extrovert. I didn't like sitting in silence, so I would call people all the time or I would have an audiobook playing. Now I shut off everything and sit and read or pray. When I am feeling really brave, I'll clean with no noise. If I would have never moved out on my own, I wouldn't have learned about myself like I have. I wouldn't have learned to lean on the Lord, instead of my brothers and sister in laws for every one of my needs.  The Lord has shown me how much I need Him.

The picture above is me hiking...ALONE. That morning I could have called either one of my sisters, but I didn't want to. I wanted to try it alone. It felt so amazing. During that time I got alone with God. I sat by the waterfall, and I just thanked God for where He had brought me from. As I hiked down the mountain, I smiled at people. In a non-creepy way of course, but in way that I was okay that they saw me alone. 

In our society, women are pressured to be independent, to be liberated from traditional roles. They want women to stay single, to sleep around, and to live a life doing what they please. I know some of you are thinking that this is what I am suggesting. Actually, I am suggesting the opposite. I am suggesting that you find your role in the Kingdom of God. Single women aren't bound to their homes, relying on friends and family to break them out. They are to live for the Lord and to be available for Him to use. Though we may be alone in the physical, in the spiritual we are never alone.  You don't have to live your single years feeling alone. We are in a time in our lives that we can make ourselves available to Him.

I am currently sitting at the library, at a table by myself. I know people are watching me, wondering what I am doing. Once I close my computer, I am going to open myself up to be used. Who knows the lady sitting in the chair near me, may need me to pray for her. If I was here with my friends, I would be consumed with what we were talking about. Right now, I available and ALONE to be used by the Lord. 

You should try it! Go have coffee, go to dinner, or go for a walk. Get out ALONE, and see how God will use you. Let me know how it feels!

I am still single with your friend! We got this!

With Love,

Court