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At what age do you become permanently single? I have no idea, but I know my desire for marriage and family has only gotten stronger over the years. It seems that everything about me was designed to be a wife and mom, which sometimes made me wonder in frustration...why hadn't God answered that prayer yet? Living with a hope deferred isn't easy, especially when I have 3 younger sisters in very happy marriages, but a year or 2 ago, I felt this strong sense God had marriage in His plans for me. God was going to give me a husband at some point in my life, so my prayer changed from asking if He would give me the gift of marriage to praising Him for what He was going to do and for the glory He was going to receive from my future marriage. And I felt called to continue to pray very specifically for my future husband.
I have no idea what God's timing will be - it could be in the next year or in the later years of life - but I feel increasingly peaceful that He will fulfill that desire and that it's going to be worth every lonely night and tearful ride home from yet another bridal or baby shower. And it frees me up to enjoy this present season of singleness more, because I will miss things about this season once it's over & don't want to miss the joys of the present daydreaming of the future.
Praise precedes the miracle...we see this in Scripture...
"And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, 'Father, I thank thee that Thou hast heard me.' John 11:41
This is a very strange and unusual order. Lazarus is still in the grave, and the thanksgiving precedes the miracle of resurrection. I thought that the thanksgiving would have risen when the great deed has been wrought, and Lazarus was restored to life again. But Jesus gives thanks for what He is about to receive. The gratitude breaks forth before the bounty has arrived, in the assurance that it is certainly on the way. The song of victory is sung before the battle has been fought. It is the sower who is singing the song of the harvest home. It is thanksgiving before the miracle!
Who thinks of announcing a victory-psalm when the crusaders are just starting our for the field? Where can we hear the grateful song for the answer which has not yet been received? And after all, there is nothing strange or forced, or unreasonable to the Master's order.
Praise is really the most vital preparatory ministry to the working of the miracles.
Miracles are wrought by spiritual power. Spiritual power is always proportioned to our faith.
Praise Changes Things.
Nothing so pleases God in connection with our prayer and our praise, and nothing so blesses the man who prays as the praise which he offers. I got a great blessing once in China in this connection. I had received bad and sad news from home, and deep shadows had covered my soul. I prayed, but the darkness did not vanish. I summoned myself to endure, but the darkness only deepened. Just then I went to an inland station and saw on the wall of the mission home these words: "Try Thanksgiving." I did, and in a moment every shadow was gone, not to return. Yes, the psalmist was right, "It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord."
"If we fix our eyes on the glorious grace of God, and His costly answer for our deepest need, then we will not so quickly doubt that He will meet all our other needs. Since the Lord has shown us this covenant faithfulness, will He not order other things well in our lives?"
"...Nevertheless, as she trusted in the Lord, He directed her steps unwittingly to exactly the right location." ~ Ian Duguid
