From Julie
One of my favorite things is receiving testimonies from singles about how God has helped them through the struggles of life. Here is an encouraging testimony by Tina from Illinois, followed by one of my own testimonies from singlehood:
Tina writes:
I was divorced twice by the age of 36 and, because of the pain; I began searching hard for direction from God when it came to finding the right person to marry. But first I had to find myself and figure out why I chose the men I did. God led me through a program at my church called "Family Life Skills." It teaches you why you choose the people and do the things you do, some of which results from things that happened in childhood. Through this class, I've begun healing in areas in my life that led me to wrong decisions.
I asked the Lord the last time I divorced to please not let me find someone unless He was the one to bring him, because I didn't trust myself and I didn't want to be hurt again. Lo and behold, He listened to me and I haven't had a date in all that time. There were times I thought I would die if I didn't find someone to fill that void inside. God had different ideas for me. He used the alone time to help me find myself and heal those broken areas. It has definitely been a journey. I enjoy my singledom and all that things God has provided for me that when I had a husband I never had the privilege to enjoy.
The Lord has been the best husband and provider I could ever ask for. It hasn't always been easy being single and there are times I ask God, "When will you bring someone for me?" Then I remember when "the one" is ready for me, and I'm ready for him, it will happen. Until then, the peace that passes all understanding sustains me. There are so many advantages of being single if you allow the Lord to take you down that path. Time is our friend and the joy of learning about yourself is a wonderful experience. When we hide from ourselves we don't confront issues that God wants us to work on, and then we fill the void with all kinds of things (including a romantic partner) to try to find happiness.
Julie’s testimony:
Once when I was single, I had a mortgage payment due in three days and only $5 in my checking account. At the time of divorce, I went to work as a hairstylist after being a stay-at-home mom for seven years. I did not have a clientele built up and I was only working two days a week so I could still take care of my children.
I called in to work before leaving the house and asked the salon owner if I had any appointments on the book for the day, and she told me the salon had been pretty quiet and that I didn’t have any appointments that day.
After we hung up, I said a prayer: God, you promised to be a husband to the husbandless and to provide for your children. Now I have a mortgage payment due and no way to pay it. What are you going to do about this?
When I arrived at the salon, the owner gave me a funny look when I came in the door and said, “I don’t know what happened after we talked, but the phone went crazy and you are almost booked up for the whole day!”
After that day and another like it that week, I had just enough to cover my mortgage payment. God is so amazing!
If you have a testimony you’d like to share with blog readers of how God helped you through a tough time, or provided for your specific needs, or changed your life and thinking through a season or event, send it to me at facebook.com/ferwerda, and I’ll feature it in a future post. So send us your story!