The Single Gal

Recently, I have been very thankful to be unmarried and free. This is true, even when my friend remarked last night that many tears have been shed in this building (a single female residence) over guys and out of the sadnesses of being single. Yes, singleness can be a real stumbling block for a gal's contentment and thankfulness. But there are many real blessings!

• You have wider circles of friends.
  
• You get to travel by yourself without asking for permission. And then you meet new and interesting people.
  
• When the fella you fancy disappoints you, you are free to admire a different fella. You're not stuck.
  
• You have heaps more time to do whatever you like.
  Here at college, most women are single. I wonder how many married women out there would like to study, but can't because of responsibilities to their spouse or family.
• With your extra time, you are free to serve (a la 1 Corinthians 7). It's nothing for a single girl to take a few hours to babysit, but a whole night out is absolute luxury for a parent. A friend is making the most of her singleness by being a missionary to Muslims.
  
• You get to have deep, intimate relationships with single women. I've never been a guy, but it seems that strong, deep and significant single guy-guy friendships are much rarer than that for girls. Married person often say it's hard to have deep relationships with people outside their immediate family.
  
• When you're married, you have a whole other set of school reunions, family functions, birthdays to remember, etc.
• You can listen to the whole sermon without straining to hear over the noises of the crying room, as mums do.
  
• You can go ahead with your long-term plans.
  
• You're not obligated to regularly watch movies or sports you don't like.
• You can make / change your plans last minute without consulting anyone or a common calendar.
  
• It's easier to be welcomed into another family (in my case, the Simmons), as an honorary member.
• You can sleep whenever you want.
  
• You make fewer trips to the doctors, compared to parents.
  
• I enjoy the close friendships of guys without worrying if anyone is (rightly) jealous.
  
• Your finances are freer and you have fewer responsibilities, like mortgages.
• You are less likely to fall into the trap of thinking that some person (like your spouse or your children) is the love of your love, when only Jesus deserves that honor
• In the loneliness of singleness (a sad thing), you long and ache for the day when your true bridegroom arrives (a great thing!)

Yes, some days are hard. There are more u-turns, givesways, near-misses, missed exits, handbreak-stops and starts when you're singles. But it's better to be single and wish to be married, than to be married and wish to be single. Most days I'm very glad I'm single. So don't be surprised if this list grows.