happily ever now
was asked by a well-meaning friend the other day how i'm doing being 30 & single. i said, "weeeellll, between Jesus & travel, i'm gueh."
it's true i travel & share photos of my adventures because i'm in love with the outdoors & connect with the heart of my Father in a special way when i'm in the mountains. but i also travel & share photos of my adventures because traveling is a sort of therapy for me. i hope my adventures empower others, especially my fellow single ladies.
when i adventure, i feel bigger than my questions & my singleness. it's a constant reminder to myself & the world that i don't need a beau to live boldly... that i'm brave enough & strong enough to go places that i've dreamed of visiting even while i'm single, instead of waiting 'til i have a boyfriend or husband to accompany me. particularly when i solo-travel is an adventure in & of itself, because when i first started solo-traveling that was juuuust right outside my comfort zone. (definitely more comfortable with it now, after traveling solo a bit.) i believe the Lord uses my adventures as a strengthening tool for me. sometimes i'm tempted to start wondering if something's wrong with me, tempted to go down that dangerous rabbit hole... because being a single 30-year-old gal isn't crazy∙common with people i know, or even in today's society. but i know God's got me. & He's got you too.
i honestly believe He calls single people to a unique level of trust, because our solo journey is a different type of daily faith-leaping. if you're single, i wanna remind you: HIS TIMING IS PERFECTION. enjoy this single season while you have it. i mean reeeally enjoy it. get all you can out of it. become the best you: be free, be quirky, be your own best friend, & actually like who you are as solely you. liberate yourself, & crack yourself up... cuz let's be honest, who else will 100% of the time get your jokes the first time? ;) this singleness is a special time that you'll never get back, & it's refining you to be a better, stronger you.
so get out there, & go adventure. once you're no longer single & that initial high of finding someone new fades, you don't wanna look back & wish you'd taken more advantage of this single time. so, sure, desire to meet your person one day; but in the meantime, don't miss out on living & enjoying your life. find what it is that makes you come alive. for me, it's mainly music & travel & being creative. whatever it is for you, ride off into the sunset on your own stallion. live your happily ever NOW.
*real talk: i'll probably come back to read this post on a tough day when i'm in need of a single-girl pep-talk =) feel free to do the same. ps: here's a song of encouragement fo you singletons, called "not afraid," from our red rocks worship midweek worship today.