| The Bible tells us that the Christian life is a life of | | | | In a similar manner to other peoples’ perception |
| abundance, full of love, peace and joy. Yet some | | | | of the single person’s status in a negative way, |
| singles live a painful, lonely and discouraging existence. | | | | parents and close friends can equally and unwittingly |
| It does not have to be this way. | | | | add painful pressure. Parents who desire to see their |
| “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes | | | | children happily married off and settled can |
| in the morning.” | | | | sometimes push their children into relationships they |
| Psalm 30:5 | | | | do not want, in an attempt to fulfil their own dream. |
| Pain can come for the single person because of | | | | The single person under such pressure enters a |
| absence of having a partner in their life, especially | | | | relationship that is not of their choosing. Their |
| when no one has approached them for sometime. | | | | disapproval and/ or concern of these relations and |
| The waiting period can be extremely painful and | | | | associates can add to the concerns of the single |
| lonely. God’s way of doing things does not make | | | | person and as a consequence cause unwarranted |
| sense to the average man. Similarly His timing differs | | | | pressures. The single person therefore can begin to |
| from our concept of time. We live in a microwave | | | | review their single status on the basis of what their |
| society where everything is obtained with great | | | | family/ friends are saying about them. Singles should |
| speed; hardly anyone is prepared to wait for | | | | not buckle under such pressure because at the end |
| anything. Yet there is the adage, which states, | | | | of the day, their parents/ friends will not be marrying |
| “everything worth gold is worth waiting for.” | | | | the person who could end up spending many |
| Many single people, in an attempt to avoid the pain | | | | decades of their life with them. |
| of waiting for Mr. or Miss Right and/or for their | | | | |
| relationship to develop, rush into courtship or | | | | 3. Rejection |
| marriage. The resultant effect can lead to more pain | | | | |
| than the waiting period yielded. | | | | It is inevitable that not all relationships will work out |
| | | | | between two people. There are countless reasons |
| 1. Other People’s Perception | | | | why things do not go according to the desires of |
| | | | | two people involved in a relationship. Incompatibility, |
| A common complaint of single people is the fact that | | | | different vision and/ or purpose, age difference, lack |
| they are happy and content with their singleness. | | | | of chemistry, opposition of parents can be |
| The only problem they have is the worry of others | | | | considered as some of the reasons. The resultant |
| around them concerning their single state. Sometimes | | | | breakdown of the relationship can lead to feelings of |
| questions abound as to why they have remained | | | | rejection by the person who feels their love has not |
| single. Family and friends have become psychologists | | | | been accepted by the other party. It is good when |
| and/ or detectives in the attempt to deduce the | | | | the couple mutually understand the need to go their |
| reason for their singleness. This can be very painful. | | | | separate ways but where this is not the case, the |
| | | | | pain of rejection can be overwhelming for the person |
| 2. Parents and Friends | | | | whose love has been ‘spurned’. |
| | | | | To be continued. |