You might be single if...

1. Two-thirds of the crock pot meal you made on Monday is supporting its own ecosystem in your fridge on Friday. (even though you've eaten off it all week)

2. Your car contains half your worldly possessions and counting. And it's no inconvenience. 

3. You regret purchasing the bargain toilet paper at Costco when you realize the package is the actual dimensions of your bathroom. (and could be used to build a small yacht, if need be.) 

4. When dining with a family, the visual of several dishes of different foods on one table at one time makes you crumble into tears of wonder and joy. 

5. You invite your friends' children over to play and the first game is 'rake the front yard.' You do this shamelessly, and consider adding 'repaint the siding' and 'weed the landscaping' to the next play date roster. 

6. When asked "why are you_______?" and "aren't you______?" you auto-fill with 'single' and 'dating' respectively and have perfected the art of feigning deafness or insanity after the first two words. (I've found this generates mixed results but it's totally worth it.) 

7. Wedding bouquet tosses, Valentine's Day, and honeymooners are nightmare content.

8. The thought of shopping at Babies R Us makes you hyperventilate and collapse. 

9. Your recycle bin contains mostly take-out, half gallon, one serving, and pint sized containers. (except for the continent-sized cardboard box your toilet paper came in. see #3) 

10. When confronted by weirdies of the opposite gender, you do what it takes to hide your left hand (or just your ring finger but that's tricky) lest they be encouraged to pursue you by your lack of marital status. I've found the nearest armpit, clothing rack, puffy hair, or large mouth (again, kind of tricky) to be ideal for this concealing maneuver. 

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Are you laughing? Good. Now I have a confession. 

I enjoy these random experiences and situations. Really. They're unique to singleness. Unique to me. And I wrote this list the other day (much edited so you wouldn't get TOO jealous) because I needed to remember where the joy was. 

Now, before you scream HERRRRRRETIIIIIIIIC! and throw the Fundamentals of the Christian Faith at me...I realize that Christ is our joy. There is this deep, steady undercurrent of joy in my position and relationship with Him. 

BUT, there's also this day that the Lord has made. And He calls us to rejoice and be glad in it. The God who knows your frame, your downsitting and uprising, your thoughts, your words, your sense of humor...calls you to be glad. And He builds into your life experiences tailor-made to bring you joy. Every good and perfect gift comes from above. He richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. 

Dear friends, find them. 

Find those things you love about your current season. They're not there by happenstance.
Then take a step back and intentionally thank God for them. Carve out time for your own praise service recounting the ways God brings you joy in the right now. 

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Most likely, maneuvering larger-than-life-sized toilet paper packages by yourself into your home using your midget arms doesn't fill you with glee (as it strangely does for me). But whatever your season, this is a day to be rejoiced over and glad in. A day filled with joy. 

Find it and give thanks. 

Beth