Annal 19: Tale from the Dog Whisperer

While I do not believe I run the risk of becoming a crazy cat lady, I think I may be at a high risk of becoming another sort of crazy.  You've heard of "The Horse Whisperer"?  Terrible movie that came out several years ago?  Man who can understand horses?  Well I'm the dog whisperer.

You see, I house sit... alot.  All of my friends seem to have dogs and so when they go away on vacation they require someone of immense expertise to take care of their dogs.  Well, we all live in a small town which means such experts do not exist.  So they call me.

I have had dogs pee on me, sleep with me, and pee on me while sleeping with me.  Yeah, if ever there was an image of a single woman with dogs, it would probably be me.  I walk into multiple homes and respond as dogs start barking, "It's all good, guys, Aunty's here."  Yeah... I refer to myself as "Aunty" when I am around dogs... awesome, isn't it?

So while I may not notice if a guy is hitting on me (a friend had to point out that the seventeen year old in the theatre was flirting with me) or that a guy in the Walmart electronics is waiting for me to look at him so that he can ask me if I'm married or in a relationship (yeah... it was an interesting weekend), I can read dogs.  The sad part?  They become somewhat attached to me now.

I have one friend whose pups always cuddle and bark a certain way when I show up.  Apparently one of them only cuddles with guys... so either she thinks I'm a guy, or she's attached to me.

My problem?  There isn't really one.  I'm just more or less commenting on the mildly pathetic turn life seems to take.  If you're married and need someone to watch your dogs, call me.  I may not be an expert, but they will feel comfortable relieving themselves on me.

Such is the life of a Christian single.

Annal 18: Tale from Sunday Worship

I had a wee bit of a smack on the head today in church this morning.  I sometimes get so caught up in myself and my 'plight' as a single Christian women in a small town where the Christian male population is either non-existent, non-eligible, or non-interested, that I tend to forget that there are people out there going through much rougher times.  I have some friends who are going through a heart-breaking time right now.  My mother lost her job unjustly.  And here's me thinking how rough my life is because I'm not married like the rest of my friends.

All of the songs we sang today were about the faithfulness of God.  About how He is more than enough for us.  About how His love gives us hope, faith, peace, and rest.

I thought of my friends and how they are clinging to God right now, and how even though they hurt so much they are still trusting Him.  He has promised to never leave us (Hebrews 13:5) and I'm watching as their pain causes them to hold onto Him even harder.

I look at how God is bringing healing to my mother and teaching me about what forgiveness means through her ordeal.

And then I looked at myself.

I was standing there, singing "You're always enough for me" and God stopped me.  It was like He was asking me if I believed this.  Did I really believe that He was more than enough for me?  If so many people close to me are dealing with issues that are so much greater than my life as a single, and they are able to cling to God and to trust Him to get them through these circumstances, then shouldn't I be able to do the same?  Shouldn't I be able to place my trust in God and believe that He is enough?

For now I am single.  And that's okay.  I think of Mordecai telling Esther that perhaps she was placed where she was "for such a time as this" (Esther 4:14) and I can't help but think God has me here, in this position, for such a time as this.  Should I waste it away longing to be married?  Or should I seek Him and His purpose for my life, and trust that He will be enough?

Such is the life of a Christian single.

Annal 17: Tale from the Movie Theatre

Last night I went to the movies with some friends.  It was opening night of X-Men: First Class and I was pretty excited to watch James McAvoy portray Charles Xavier (strictly because of his acting ability, of course).  I sat down in my seat, married friend on my one side, single friend on my other.  My married friend commented on her husband having gone to the earlier showing of the movie.  A random guy, probably about seventeen, who was sitting in front of me commented on his own marriage.  Our conversation went something along the following:

Him: "I enjoyed my wedding."
Me: "Oh yeah?  Well that's good."
Him: "It was in Vegas.  Went really well.  Happened about four days ago."
Me: "Well, congratulations, you must be very proud."
Him: "I am."

We then proceeded with our own conversations.  Shortly after, he again interjected into our conversation.

Him: "I'm divorced now."
Me: "Oh yeah..."  *I actually misunderstood what he was saying and so only absentmindedly acknowledged him*
Him: "... Think about it..."

So there we have it, I am the object of flirtatious attention from a teenaged boy.  So remember, just when you start to lose hope, there may be a boy almost ten years your junior out there to make you feel just swell.

After this we more or less ignored each other as I was too busy attempting to still my rapidly beating heart at Hugh Jackman's cameo appearance as Wolverine... sigh... give me a man with metal claws, an eyebrow that cocks, and that tough growl...

Such is the life of a Christian single.

Annal 16: Tale from the Field Trip

Today our school went on a field trip to a nearby dinosaur museum.  I love my students, but a total of four hours on a bus with them definitely makes things interesting!  The following is one of the conversations the took place:


Student 1: "Ms. S, do you still have pictures I drew for you from kindergarten?"
Me: "I'm pretty sure I do in a box somewhere."
Student 1: "That's kind of wierd."
Me: "Well I like it when you guys draw me pictures.  That's why I put all the ones from my students on my wall."
Student 2: "Ms. S, you should marry an artist."
Me: "Why?"
Student 2: "Because then he could draw you pictures all the time."
Student 3: "And because you can't draw."


I had no indication that the conversation would take this turn, which is proof that my students (and students from other classes) are more interested in my lack of a marital status than I am at times!  That being said, I had another eye-opening "that's-why-I'm-still-single" moment later on in the day.  We were hiking back to the bus after visiting dinosaur tracks when I began to sing Christmas carols at the top of my lungs (in my defense, it had been snowing that morning--yes, on June 3--and was getting ready to snow again).  The students with me began to belt out the songs as well and so we filled the forest around us with our renditions of "Jingle Bells," "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," and "Deck the Halls."  It was lovely, but carols in June could be another reason why I am still single.


Such is the life of a Christian single.

Annal 15: Tales from the Proposals

I received my first proposal when I was ten.  It was a lovely spring evening and I was walking with one of my best friends.  A boy we sometimes walked with appeared from out of the bushes with a beautiful wild rose in his hand.  Our conversation when something like this:

“Will you marry me?”

“No.”

“F*** you.”

And then he walked away.

My next proposal was in grade nine.  It was “Capture the Heart Day” where all the girls had paper hearts and weren’t allowed to talk to the boys.  If they talked to a boy, he got to have their heart for the day.  By the time I left homeroom one of my classmates had proposed.

Come to think of it, I didn’t actually turn him down.  Of course, I didn’t accept either.  I remained quite silent.

Looking back, I wonder if perhaps I was too picky.  Did I already, at such young ages, expect too much?  Sure  the first boy was a year younger than me and couldn’t say three words without throwing a curse word into it, but I’m sure other than that he would have been wonderful husband material.  And he did pick me a flower.

The other guy was a really nice guy.  I didn’t know much about where he stood with Jesus, but he was still very nice and we got along wonderfully.  Why did I not accept?

Right.  I was fourteen.  Pish posh, people were married with children by that age not all that long ago.

I have not received another proposal since.  Perhaps this is simply a sign that I really am just too dang picky.  I really must work on it.  And so I think I shall have to accept my next proposal... in Pride and Prejudice Elizabeth Bennett comments that despite having turned down the odious Mr. Collins, if she is lucky, she many in time meet with another man just like him.  Is she being sarcastic?  Sure, but I’m positive there is a lesson to be learned.  And so here’s to Mr. Collins!

Such is the life of a Christian single.