All the single ladies, all the single ladies. (and you, too.)

I'm not sure that Beyonce had the WHOLE picture;

"If you like it than you should have put a ring on it."

In truth, it's more along the lines of ...

"If you don't mind looking over at me when we're 85 and can hardly stand on our own two feet, only to find my eyes hidden behind the wrinkles that surround them, and my pants a bit wet because I just can't seem to make it to the bathroom in time anymore; Then - you should put a ring on it."

__________________________________________________

Well, it's a good thing that God understands our desire to love and be loved (even beyond the point of granny diapers) and so adorns us with much more love than we can grasp.

Therefore, our hearts and minds can be set in living out the mystery of this love, so that even in the scariness of getting older- we're somehow always beautiful. Because when a thing is loved, that thing is beautiful.

So, for those of you who feel "singled out," fail not forget that being singled out just may mean more than you think.

Being called out, or singled out, is greater news than you could hope for.

"You are My witnesses,” says the LORD,

“And My servant whom I have chosen,

That you may know and believe Me,

And understand that I am He." -isaiah43:10

God calls us into Himself, in order that we be sent out. He chooses us to GO, and flow opposite the current of the world; which in turn can sometimes lead us to feel a bit.. single?

Yet, the beauty is in the covenant- the Promise of God that He will never leave us, and is coming back to take us where He has already prepared a place.

Not only do we have His Promise to hold on to, but we have Him. There is no greater gift that God could give us other than Himself. If He gave us anything less, He would be plain awful. To allow us in as children shows that truly none of us are "single" as the world defines being single.

It's a Marriage.
A Covenant.
A Friendship.

..."I no longer call you slaves, I call you friends." - Jesus. (John 15:15)

God has called us out on who we are, in order that we come to realize, well.. who we are. We are His, and the love He has shown us in Christ is sufficient to outlive any amount of beauty that we hold on the outside.

Truth is - He's coming back as your bridegroom- He did put a ring it. ln addition to the ring He gave, He proved His faithfulness by the ring that he wore. It didn't look as pretty as most rings do, it didn't glitter and it didn't shine. It sat along the middle of his forehead, and penetrated deep into the temples of his skull.

B u t ....

"They didn't take his life ..

he l a i d it d o w n." (a.peterson)

This ring is the one he bore so that you didn't have to. It may not have been glittering on the outside, but what glitters isn't gold. Yes, this crown upon him shines brighter than any of the passing riches of this world, and of more value than any amount of pure gold. This crown has proved the justice, mercy, grace, faithfulness and abounding love of the One who is worth it all.

So in the midst of what you think is loneliness, it may just be your opportunity to draw from His fountain overflowing. A time to see your "singleness" transformed.

He's been on bended knee for you since before the foundation of the world.

I hate to say it, but ...

Beyonce's got nothin on this.