Ode to the Single Woman

Single woman, friend of mine, you have come through for me again and again. My life as a wife and mom to small children is chaotic, and when I get sick or have an emergency large or small, it throws my world into chaos. You are the one that I called when I was sitting in my chair crying, overwhelmed at my inability to do all I had to do. And you showed up on my doorstep at a moment's notice ready to take my kids to a playground and out for ice cream afterwards. And then you acted like it was no problem and actually something you wanted to do.

I can not tell you what grace you have ministered to me by your enthusiasm to serve my family. If someone called me up with the same request, I'd do my best to do it without making them feel bad, but it would stress me, and I imagine it would be hard not to communicate it to the one in need. But you have never once made me feel bad about your service to me. I often feel guilty that our friendship seems lopsided. You are the flexible one, while my schedule seems so inflexible. And yet you never make me feel selfish or guilty or ashamed. You treat me like you are just happy to be with me, even if you had to make the majority of the sacrifices to make it happen. I want you to know that I see that and it means so very much to me. And to my children. And to my husband.

I have had several single friends over the last few years who have loved me and my children well, served my family in times of sickness or death, and just generally blessed me. I am coming to the firm conviction that I, married with 2 kids, deeply need my sisters in Christ at different stages of life—younger, older, never married, married, widowed, divorced, with grown kids, without kids. I like to minister to others. And sometimes the outgrowth of that is I'm a little resistant to someone ministering to me. But God has definitely worked that out of me the last year. I am contemplating tonight my need for my sisters and how blessed I have been when I humble myself to them with my need.