Another Single Holiday: NYE

I'm back!
I felt like I just had to write something before this holiday season ended. I'm excited to share so please, keep reading!

Holiday Blues
Since my last blog post in August, there have been some ups and downs. More ups than downs since I've been applying the things that we talked about in my last post. However, as I neared the holiday season I began to get more and more distracted. In fact, I'd even met a new guy and we were merely getting to know each other. I suppose getting to know someone brought awareness to the fact that I am still single. Normally, when I'm focused on Jesus and serving others I don't even realize it. Yet, during this season I was totally aware and honestly miserable with where I was at that moment. Particularly, another single Christmas getting to know someone that I had a feeling it wasn't going to work out with. Need I say, it didn't work out. Soon I'll have this down to a science. I've gotten awfully familiar with the clues, behaviors and vernacular of man who has the wrong intentions and secretly wants to see if he can use you for his selfish ambitions. Ladies, if you'd like to see a blog or a video on this topic please let me know.

I understand that being single during Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Year's Eve can be a challenge for many. Especially when you see couples out shopping and flirting and kissing and in love and totally soaking up the holiday season and all it entails. I've seen it this year myself and at that point, we have a choice. We can be depressed, throw a pity party and be mad at God and jealous of others and compromise and date people we have no business with just to fill a void. Or we can reflect on all the good things God has done for us and think about how blessed we are and enjoy what we DO have.
So, as New Year's Eve floods in and you become aware of the hundreds of couples across the country kissing when the clock strikes 12 as the ball drops in New York, remember you have a choice. No, we may not yet have someone worthy to share a kiss with to bring in the New Year. No, we may not yet know the love of our lives to bring in the new year with but we as single people are more blessed than we realize and we get to bring in the New Year with Love Himself. When the clock strikes 12, let us be intentional about thanking God that we get to see another year!

I Admit, I've Been Ungrateful
You know, I felt convicted this morning as I was thinking and spending time with God. I thought about how I wasn't the happiest camper on Christmas and how I was frustrated with God and His lack of haste when it comes my love life. I thought about the times where I became consumed with thinking of how and where and when I could find me a good godly man. What time wasted! And as I was reflecting, God dealt with my heart and showed me how I have not been grateful. Ouch! He reminded me of a recent conversation I had with my younger kid brothers about being grateful. That day, I was going on and on about how I purchased this video game piece for them and they weren't grateful for it. I was venting about how it hurt me that while I was expecting them to be ecstatic and joyfully say thank you, they were too busy thinking about this other thing that I didn't buy them that day because I knew I was planning to give it to them later on Christmas Day. I was so frustrated with them! I was thinking, "How dare you ignore what I've just done for you and choose to lament about this ONE thing that you THINK you don't have but you really DO have because I know it's sitting in my closet and in a matter of time and patience and waiting you'll receive that too!" Geez! The Lord brought all that to my remembrance and in that moment I realized that I had done the same thing my kid brothers had done. God has been so good to me and He was probably thinking "How dare you LaRissa. How dare you ignore that fact that I chose to wake you up this morning and give you life and health and allow you to be in your right mind. Not to mention you have a job, a car, a loving family and friends, you can buy whatever you want, you have nice clothes and get to choose what food you want to eat. How dare you ignore the fact that you have a personal relationship with Me, you aren't going to hell, you are my child and I give you peace and joy and I protect you. You could have been, should have been dead from many different things but you are still here. Not to mention the small things like when I provide a parking spot in front of the door at Walmart or Publix or Macy's or help you find lost items and I answer your prayers. How dare you ignore all of my goodness to lament about this ONE thing, this man that you THINK you don't have because you cant see him but you really DO have that too because I'm looking at the ordained date, time and place where I will present you to him and in a matter of time and patience and waiting you will receive him too!" WOW! Believe me when I tell you, that hit me like a ton of bricks and I felt like I just HAD to share that with my single brothers and sisters. So that's what God says to me when I throw my pity parties; what is He saying to you? As we bring in the new year and enter into 2016 let's focus more on what God has already done and not what He still has yet to do. Let's commit to worshiping Him and loving Him for who He is and not what we want Him to do. Because even if we never received anything else in life, He still would be so deserving of way more than we could give.
Happy New Year! Greatness awaits you as long as you follow Christ, so keep your head up and be encouraged!
Can't wait to talk to you again soon,
Ris