As I said at the end of last week, this time of year can be 'a bit of a downer' for single young ladies. As the rest of the world celebrates 'love' and 'romance', rejoicing in couplehood and exchanging cute and adorable cards, it's tempting for single young ladies like us 'rejoicing' in singleness to feel discontended and discouraged and depressed. For us what is (for couples) a positive and fun time of year becomes a negative and sad time of year.
So ... what are we going to do about this negative and sad time of year?
We could allow ourselves to be overwhelmed with feelings of discontentment and discouragement and depression. In a way, this is the 'easy' option ... but I don't think it's the best option! I think there's another option - if not the best option (I don't claim to have thought of that yet!), a good option! That is ... drum roll, please! ... let's take this negative and sad time of year and turn it into a positive and fun time of year. That is what I am attempting to do and I invite you to join me ...
How?
Well ... 'how' is largely up to you, actually! Here are some ideas to get you started ...
- Pray. If you usually find this a negative and sad time of year and desire to turn into into a positive and fun time of year, pray about it. Ask God to work a miracle in your heart to give you contentment and encouragement and joy.
- Reach out and show God's love to other people ... to your family, first of all! (Give your parents and siblings cards, visit or call your grandparents ... go here for more fun and cute ideas!)
- Talk to your family and friends ... plan to do something positive and fun together! My sisters and I are having a Tea Party next Sunday, to which we have invited all the single young ladies and girls we know - we're going to wear tea-party-ish clothes, drink tea and eat cake, make elegant conversation and have great fun! (Hopefully ... I'll post pictures on Friday and Monday - a week today.) You don't have to have a tea party (of course!) - but ... why not have one?!?
- Crystal Paine of Biblical Womanhood is holding a Valentine's Contest for unmarried ladies and girls. Go and check it out! (I just discovered Crystal's contest today and it's only open until tomorrow - Tuesday February 12th!)
- Blog! I imagine that a lot of 'extra' people will be online this week, so blog about Valentine's Day and how you're turning it into a positive and fun time of year! Blog about singleness (in a positive way, of course!) and about God's love and goodness ... some people haven't heard or thought of God and for them this time of year is more than 'just' "negative and sad." I'm planning to post a number of articles this week about singleness (not because at "not yet four and twenty" I think I 'know everything', but because I think we single young ladies need to encourage each other!) as well as a lot of links and quotes and other fun stuff!
This is probably as good a time as any to state ... I'm going to be posting a lot of links to articles this week. Each of the articles has blessed and encouragemented me one way or another, but this does not mean that I endorse or support the articles. Please use discrection and (if you're under 18) parental guidence when reading articles and being online!
2 comments:
Elizabeth~
What encouragment. Not focusing on loneliness, and how sad we are, but focusing on what we can DO to change our thoughts and feelings!! :) Thank you.
I'm going to try to write a short series for Valentines Day as well, I published one today and I'm hoping to keep it up, but we will see what God has planned for that. Thanks again for your post!!
Ana, thank you! You're welcome ... I figure we can all support and encourage each other at this time! :-> I'm looking forward to reading your series too!
Post a Comment