Each Day is a Gift

If you didn't see me post this on Facebook - I'll link it here & copy in my favorite excerpts (if you don't have time for the entire article). I want my daughter(s) to understand this too when her time comes. This is for those who are single or married. Because in reality, it extends past our relationship status & includes more about what we think of ourselves & what we have today. I want to be a better wife & mother than I know I am. I want to do more, be more & have more, etc... I'm not where I would like to end, but I can still love who I am today & where I am today because it is still something grand. I am a daughter of God. There is no next phase of that. That is constant & never changing.

Here is the article "Single & Not Waiting"

This was my initial thought after reading the article:

Every stage has its challenges, and although I see marriage as an essential part of God's plan, God's timing is so different from our own. We have to be okay with having goals, but being happy with who we are today. it's such a hard thing to learn. And getting married doesn't end the "I can't wait for this point in my life" syndrome. I wish we wished less & enjoyed more. God will put great opportunities in our path & if we are trying to live for Him, He will guide us where we need to be, and that place will be better than we could have imagined.

From the article:

"Don’t misunderstand my frustration; I think there is a beautiful element of starting a new family with your spouse. I’m all for godly marriage. But what I’m afraid of is viewing life through the lens of marriage as the goal. For waiting to get married before life starts."

[...]

"I’ve wasted my time, my energy, and my emotions on this concept that singleness is just a waiting room for a relationship. I’m tired of this view that my life begins when I wake up next to my husband, because I’m pretty sure my life began 23 years ago when my mom gave birth. And this mentality has robbed my joy."

[...]

"I’ve been living like God owes me something. Like he hasn’t held up his end of the deal. He has given me the desire for relationship and marriage, and he just hasn’t followed through. I’ve been living under the impression that I deserve a relationship. I’d be lying if I said Christian culture does much to inhibit this mentality. There seems to be a deep understanding and appreciation for the gift of marriage, but not so much for the gift of singleness (if it’s treated like a gift at all). Rather, singleness is something to be cured. Like I’ve got a disease, and introducing me to your single friend might perhaps cure us both. Singleness is the lump of coal, the gift that is never on your Christmas list."

[...]

"Each day is a gift, and I’m not waiting for it to get here. It is present in every moment, and it begins anew daily.  Man-less or not, I want to wake up every morning and be excited because I get to spend my day with the God who created the universe."

every stage is awesome, whether or not we realize it at the time is the struggle.