Blessed and Single

February 7, 2024 / by Sandy Way

When young I never imagined being single all my life. Presumably marriage and children were in my future. Little kids always delighted me.

In high school I had several male friends in choirs and other singing groups. I dated some but was not serious about anyone. In my sophomore year of college, I began dating a young man from my home church. We became good friends and wrote to each other daily. He and I were sure that we were in love. One evening, he invited me to his family’s house for dinner. During the meal I watched as both his father and his brother berated their wives. I began to wonder how I would react in a similar situation and soon realized that I didn’t have the maturity to deal with put-downs of that sort. At least not yet. But, I was still in love with the idea of being married….someday.

Years passed… Still single, one night I prayed telling God, “If You want me to be single, then take away this desire to be married! “

Later I yelled…“That’s NOT the answer I wanted!”

Over the years I have often read and thought about the Apostle Paul’s comments regarding marital status in 1 Corinthians. I had, however, never thought about singleness as a gift until I read this in The Message version.

“God gives the gift of the single life to some, the gift of the married life to others.”(7:6)…“And don’t be wishing you were someplace else or with someone else. Where you are right now is God’s place for you. Live and obey and love and believe right there. God, not your marital status, defines your life.” (7:17)

It‘s true, and God has blessed me in so many ways in my singleness. Through the years I’ve loved taking part in Bible studies, choirs, ABFs, and small groups. He gave me the ability and many wonderful opportunities to sing from the age of 3 to my late 50s. He’s put children in my life through babysitting, loving and fun family relationships with nieces and nephews, teaching Sunday School, VBS, 16 years of summer day camp counseling at my home church, 2 years teaching/living at a home and school for homeless children in South Carolina, and teaching an additional 34 years in Indiana public schools. I am blessed with good friends and have many great relationships.

I’m thankful and blessed, indeed!

Sandra (Sandy) Way is a graduate of Taylor University, and taught school until retiring in 2004, then moved to Georgia to live with her twin sister. In December 2010 the two of them moved to Bloomington to be near their other sister and her husband. Sandy has been a member of East White Oak for 12 years. She has served in Children’s Ministry and thoroughly enjoys the small group that meets at her home. Her six nieces and nephews and their children are the love of her life. They are scattered across the country, but she likes sewing and has designed and created quilts for ten of the eleven great-nieces and nephews who have graduated from high school.