Friday, August 3, 2012

My Scarlet Letter (I/XII)


Ok, so in the next several posts I’m going to embark on a journey. I’d love for you to walk with me. It is a journey that has been weighing on my heart for a few months, maybe even years. I hesitate to be completely open about it. You’ll see why. It’s a huge area of vulnerability for me. And admittedly, a huge source of pain as well. It is something that has brought me the closest to God and at the same time challenged me in knowing Him as my Father and Lover of my soul. It has been something that has plagued me for years. My family knows about it. My friends know about it. My coworkers know about it. 
“It”.....is Singlehood.
It’s about time I took it to the blog (is this anything like going to the mattresses?) and put it out there for everyone. Because if it’s something I could learn from, I hope and pray it’s something that you can as well. Maybe that’s why it’s still a reality in my life. Maybe it’s not supposed to be a private battle for me, as much as I would like it to be. So, here goes. I will be as honest as I possibly can, but this is huge for me. Like vulnerability to the extreme. 
I’ll tie in wisdom from outside sources where I can. I will pray each step of this journey. Undoubtedly, I will belabor every word. It’s in my very DNA to do so. I will also covet your encouragement and appreciate your honest feedback. I ask that you please be kind in your comments. I am not out to debate feminism. And I certainly can’t speak for all women. But I will share my heart. And how God has shaped and molded it throughout the years. It hasn’t always been an easy process (is it really ever?), but it is good. Because He is good. And He is still molding me - I pray He never finishes. So I welcome your feedback. If this journey resonates with you in any way, please share it. Post it on your Facebook walls, tweet it, email it to your friends, heck, print it out and tack it on any bulletin board you can find. I long for wounds to be healed. Aches to be lessoned. And God to be glorified. He created me, after all, and gave me a heart to share. I trust in His guidance, as much as I want to fight it. 
Having said that, I struggle with my credentials to even attempt to tackle something like this. I’m not a writer, well, only a self-proclaimed one. But, for what it’s worth, I did love my writing classes in college. And I have been single for just about all my life. I think that gives me some sort of credibility. 
And know that I won’t be able to address it all in one post (hence the series). I will be posting every few days. I may pose a question in one post that won’t be answered until a later one. So hold tight. Comment. Share your stories. Create dialogue. But know it’s not finished until the last one is up. I also don’t claim to have all the answers. Or the right ones. But I have my heart. I have God’s Word. Tons of resources. And basically a lifetime of being single. Literally.
So let’s tackle it: 

What it means to be a Daughter of God, living as a Single Woman in His Kingdom. 
Psalm 144:12 “May our daughters be like graceful pillars, carved to beautify a palace.

4 comments:

  1. My brave girl! I'm excited to read what you come up with!

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  2. Great start Erin! Looking forward to see what God does with this. :-)

    Alonya

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  3. So proud of you for your willingness to share what God is asking of you. Vulnerability and Singlehood. I know those 2 things are scary to dive into. Praying for peace to encompass you as you post your heart for all to read, learn, grow, be challenged, and encouraged--and praying that all takes place in you as well as you revisit the years. Love you!

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  4. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts, Erin, and share in what God is teaching you.

    Lindsay

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