All My Single Ladies: A Call to Married Women

This blog has been sitting on my heart for a week.
I think I'm ready to write.
I called this blog "All My Single Ladies: A Call to Married Women" for a reason that is weighing on me...it's one of those frustrating things that you know something has to be done about, but don't have the time to do it yourself...So I'm putting it out here, in cyberspace, and I'm hoping it gets seen.
Single ladies, you are noticed.
I've been asked quite a few times, as I try to become more sociable (it's so AWKWARD!), how my husband and I met. The question is always answered with a smile--someday, I'll tell it in a blog, 'cause it's funny. Let's just say that it involved a brother-like friend, a baby in a kitchen sink, a stupid e-mail forward, and a killer pair of high heels.
There is NO REASON on earth that there should have ever been a second date.
God had other plans...and yep, it was a total cliche: Right place, right time, God-ordained. This man, that I had surrounded in prayer since I was 14 years old (thanks, Donna Shelton, for that teaching, way back when), was real. Yes, Virginia, he DOES exist.
Single ladies, HE DOES EXIST.
I've had a few conversations lately with my single girlfriends. Their ages vary...their careers are vastly different. These women have 2 things in common: They love the Lord. They hate being single.
My heart breaks for them.
There's something painful, about wanting something SO BAD, that you have no control over. It's strange, how I identify with that deep, heart-wrenching longing, in a different way...I can't create life, any more than my single gals can create a husband. It's totally in God's hands, and boy-oh-boy, wouldn't we put Him on fast-forward if we could?
Sigh.
His will is worth the wait.
Single ladies, HE DOES EXIST. That guy is out there. Single guys, if you're reading this (I don't think any guys read this blog, including my hubby, and that's okay), where you at? When are you going to man-up and notice the amazing array of Godly women that surround you like the most fragrant of perfumes?
Our church is full of beautiful, amazing, focused, Jesus-loving single women. I see them every Sunday, and I have to wonder what in tarnation is wrong with the boys? WAKE UP! Look!!! They're gorgeous, inside and out, and you don't find that anymore!!!
Single ladies, HE DOES EXIST.
Please, don't lose heart. I know that "hope deferred makes the heart sick;" I know it better than anyone. Don't lose hope. I don't have an easy answer for you, other than to tell you to hang on--don't let being single make you bitter. Don't let it corrode your heart. Hang on.
I could give you Scripture references; I could tell you pithy sayings, make a few jokes, and point you in the direction of an appropriate devotional. It would do neither of us any good. Your heart hurts, plain and simple. You have a heart's desire, for a mate, and it's not happening. It sucks.
So, here's the call to married women:
Married ladies, these are your sisters. We have our families...I have a job, a husband, bills to pay, and a household to run. It's easy for me to get caught up in this world, and to forget the loneliness I felt before I met David. Our single sisters need our prayer(and I don't mean all of them--some of them are happy being single, and that's great. This blog is meant to focus on the ones who AREN'T happy being single. I don't mean to generalize anyone, so please don't take this the wrong way. If you're happy being single, good on 'ya). I'm not organizing a prayer group for this. I'm asking the married ladies of the church to commit to praying individually (and if you're already in a prayer group, add this to the list)and as a family, for the single girls and guys in our church. This isn't to jump-start a singles ministry or to add another church function to your prayer list. This is about being responsible to take care of people in our church who are struggling with where they are, as a single person. I'm focusing on the women, because I can relate to that heart's desire. Single guys, again--not that I think you read this--need prayer too. Wives, encourage your husbands to pray for the single guys. And while I'm on a bandwagon, encourage your husbands and these single guys to hang out. The singles need mentors, and the husbands need fellowship. Guys need Godly examples.
Married women, let's step up. I don't care how long you've been married--you know that once that ring goes on, there's a change. You feel like a puzzle piece that's been properly locked into another, and you feel that in your spirit. David is the other half of me--he's everything I prayed for, come hell or high water. I am sad, for the ladies that want that, and don't have it. I'd like to be a part of praying that in.
Our single ladies need encouragement, so as not to give up...they need direction, in knowing the difference between Godly expectation and vanities (ask, if you want me to clarify that). They need to know that "settling," when you're talking about a covenant, is a ticket to disaster--it's worth the wait. They also need to learn that they are amazing women, and that being single is NOT a form of rejection--there's an assault on their self-esteem that's taking place, and it's wrong.
Married women, can we do that? Can we agree to pray for our sisters? We love them, don't we? Let's lift them up, and encourage their faith and their values. If you have anything to add to this, leave me a comment on the Facebook page. This has been burning in my heart for a week, so your thoughts/prayers/support for our single community is appreciated.