Valentines Day Convictions

During my years of college, I joyfully spent every Valentines Day without a "Valentine." By the grace of God, I truly was joyful and never was sad or upset about my singleness. Truth be known, it was probably because the majority of my closest friends were also single. 

For the past few years my house has hosted a "Celebrate Your Singleness" party, which was always so much fun. In a blog about our first party I said, "Also.... how awesome to be able to celebrate love without being in a relationship! This Valentines Day was extra special... I spent it celebrating this amazing season of life of singleness God has blessed us with, with some GREAT VALENTINES!!"

Throughout the past four years, I have posted many blogs about being content in singleness. If I could pick a platform, that definitely would be mine. I have met with girl after girl to talk about how God has allowed me to be content in him in the absence of a relationship. I know without a doubt that that has been the greatest blessing of singleness - knowing HIS love was enough. Something that I once struggled with, and was rescued from. 

This Valentines Day I am in a relationship (WITH THE GREATEST GUY IN THE WORLD). Ironically, I am also in Africa... half a world away from him. I will once again spend Valentines Day "alone" and this time without a house full of single folks that I love so much. 

................

Now, I humbly say that I may have been slightly prideful about my contentment in the Lord in the midst of singleness. I talked about it so much as if I had accomplished some huge task. Truth is, why did I think it was an accomplishment? Who else was I going to find my contentment in? I was single. 

This Valentines Day, I have a new conviction.  This Valentines Day, it will be a lot harder to find my contentment in the Lord. I will wish I was in America. I will wish I was with my Valentine. I will fight with myself to not have a pity party. 

All this to say... God has taught me a beautiful truth recently. Finding contentment in the Lord is not something that you do while single. It is something you must choose to do daily, every day of your life whether you are in a relationship, not in a relationship, married, or unmarried. No matter the status, you must choose contentment in God and in God alone (something much harder to do when there is a Valentine in the picture).

Single ladies/men: As you spend your Valentines Day single, rest in the love of your Lord. Treat this season of life as a blessing. Learn to find contentment in God alone, so that when you are in a relationship, you are able to remember God is your source of contentment... not the one you love.

For everyone else, enjoy your Valentines Day with your special someone. Praise God for placing them in your life, and remember: your contentment comes from the Lord, not from that special someone. 

xoxo, 

Jordan

"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." -Psalms 73:26

"See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" - 1 John 3:1