On the flip side, I love it when others ask me for assistance—for example, when Tim's wife calls needing a brief coffee break away from their twin one-year-old daughers. And when a friend of mine went through a tough spot in her marriage last year, my singleness afforded me the flexibility to meet with her on a moment's notice when she just needed to get away for a bit. Realizing what a blessing it can be to help others has made it easier for me to swallow my pride and ask for assistance—allowing others to use their God-given talents and allowing all of us to function as the body of Christ (
The thing I've learned is this: Single or married, rich or poor, we all need each other. None of us is equipped to get through this broken, bruising world on our own. We all need others to schlep, grieve, celebrate, pray, transport, nurse, teach, financially support, keep us accountable, and so much more. There are times we singles are the most acutely aware of this. And, when you think about it, how cool is God to have designed us this way—needy. It keeps us humble, it keeps us in community, and, if we allow it, it keeps us reliant on him, the one from whom it's sometimes the most easy to become independent and yet the one we need the most. If we live it right, I suspect this single life could teach us invaluable lessons and amazing insights about our interdependence with others and our utter dependence on God. Now that would be something worthy of fireworks!
Camerin welcomes your feedback and brainstorms at: SinglesNewsletter@ChristianityToday.com
