One day I woke up from nursing school to realize that most of my friends were either dating, married, or had babies… The ones that were not and did not had skipped the area and were living elsewhere, spreading their wings. And I was still here with my feet planted firmly in my native soil, unattached, with only a nursing license to show for the past few years…

One day I woke up and I was twenty-two and I had never really thought ahead to what came after I was twenty-two and graduated. Twenty-two was when I finally would be a nurse. But what then?

One day I woke up and I was an older single girl and my life looked narrow. My married friends had homes of their own, they were invited to participate in things I was not, they were included in circles where I decided I wasn’t welcome and so I sulked…

Then one day I woke up and found that there were other singles who were not sulking. In fact, there were people who were not married who lived side-by-side with those who were, and it didn’t matter which were which because they were all caught up in serving a cause that usurped these differences. There were singles and not singles who had a wide range of friends of all stages and ages, because they reached out to everyone they met, and they didn’t think about themselves.

One day I woke up and realized I was selfish and self-centered to think about myself as left out, when they would all let me into their lives and be my friend if I would let them. One day I realized that everyone has equal worth in God’s eyes- those who are twelve, those who are forty, those who are married, those who are single, those who are black, those who are white, those who live in PA, and those who live in Mexico. I realized that when I held myself back from anyone, I was being self-centered- even if I was holding back for fear of being hurt. I realized God has different plans for everyone and does not look down on an unmarried Mennonite girl in her twenties.

And one day I woke up and it seemed that the world was sparkling and new. It was spring outside and it was spring in my life and the world was at my fingertips! There were so many people to love, so many opportunities to serve, so many things to learn and see… Today I woke up and I was twenty-three… And I was so happy! Because I have a Father who is planning my life to be a glorious testimony to His love… And He is my freedom. (My relationship status is not.)