To Miss W (and Ebeth)

I am friend to a young lady who is a former student of mine. She is now twenty and I have been acquainted with her since she was very young and have had the privilege of watching her grow into a woman of God. She comes from a wonderful Christian home and it is a joy to know them.
I had the opportunity to chat with her for a few minutes yesterday. I relish all of our conversations because she loves the Lord and she is a thought provoking young lady. As we talked she expressed the fact that she had been going through some times of discontentment recently in the area of marriage and the fact that she is not and not really moving in that direction at this time. You see, since I can remember, she has had the desire to become a wife and a mom. As we talked it became clear that she felt embarrassed and sinful for her lack of contentment in the place in which God has placed her and she is now content once again. So, being a bit of a thinker myself, I began to pray and ponder her situation.
I now have a few thoughts to share with you Miss W. It is so important to be joyful in each situation in which you are placed, but I believe that does not mean you cannot carry some sorrow in a situation or even a desire for change. For instance: my dad recently passed away. I find great joy that he is with the Lord and am thrilled that God answered my prayers of healing. (Not as I would have done it, but he healed him just the same.) I find great peace and yet I am taking the time for mourning as scripture teaches. (Ecclesiastes 3:4) Perhaps there is a bit of mourning in a young lady in yet unfulfilled dreams?
Secondly, there are many examples from scripture in which God places an individual or individuals in situations and they are joyful and obedient in those situations and yet they pray and even work (with God’s guidance) to change those circumstances. I first give you Paul. As Paul is writing to the church at Philippi in Chapter 1 verse 21-26 he discusses the fact that he is content to stay here on earth and do God’s will for the furthering of the Kingdom of God, but he states in verse 22 that his “desire is to depart” that is be with God and reunited with Jesus.) This in no way means we should seek our desires over the Lord’s will, but it does mean that we can have other desires. In the garden of Gethsemane, Christ prayed for God the Father to take the cup of suffering and crucifixion from Him, (that was the wholly human side of Christ.) But the wholly God side then prayed “not my will but thine be done.”
In closing, Miss W, continue to dream, continue to aspire toward a husband and children, and by all means pray for these things, but moreover continue to pray that God’s will and not yours be done.