thoughtful thursday.

it's been a very long time since i have done a "thoughtful thursday" post.  mainly due to the fact that the past several thursdays i have been awake and out the door by 5:30 to get to clinical at the hospital!

i think a lot of one's life is spent looking forward to the next step.  the next day, the next season, the next job, the next level of a relationship.  this can prevent us from being open to what is being given to us, and what we have now.  

spending rare quality time with my 8-months-pregnant sister is such a blessing.  this past weekend was one of those times.  we were checking out at a store, and the lady behind the register looked at her rounded belly, then smiled at me and said, "be careful - don't drink the water!" 

"oh!" i smiled, "i think there'd be a big problem if i was pregnant right now!  there is  no husband or man in the picture!"

"immaculate conception!" she replied.

as we left, she yelled behind us, "good luck with that man thing!"

yep...that is exactly what i want to be yelled at me anywhere, much less as i am leaving a busy store.  just smile and wave, smile and wave.  just like in madagascar.

while i know that kind lady had good intentions, the fact is, i don't need luck.  God is working right now in that man's life, and mine.  

yes, i would love a significant other at this moment in my life.  and i would love to be where i thought i'd be right out of college - married with 2.5 children.  but, this journey that He has me on is different.  and it's a better different.  if i was married with 2.5 children, i might not have gone back to school to be a nurse.  this singleness is a gift that He's given to me for this season of my life. some might not want the gift of singleness, but should we be able to decide what gift we receive?  psalm 84:11 says, "For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless." He withholds no good thing.  that means this is what He sees as best for me right now!

i think the more i allow myself to take things moment by moment, day by day, i free myself from the expectations that could quite possibly let me down.  today is a new day, and today i am open to whatever comes next!