God Wastes Nothing

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. - Romans 8:28

It’s official!

My brand new devotional – For My Single Friend – is officially available!

I know I’ve said this a thousand times, but I am so excited to finally be able to release this to you. It’s taken months and months of writing, editing, rewriting, designing, and praying to get to this point. So I’m pumped we’re finally here!

As I’ve been spending all this time working on this devotional, I’ve been thinking a lot about my single years.

I’m not going to sugarcoat it for you. Those were some of the hardest years of my life. Don’t get me wrong, there were a lot of really great things about being single. And I have so many amazing, unforgettable memories from that season of my life.

But there were also plenty of nights when I cried myself to sleep.

There were plenty of times I questioned God’s timing because He seemed to be in no hurry to answer my (very frequent) request for a husband.

There were plenty of times I put a smile on my face and congratulated my friends at their engagement parties, bridal showers, and weddings while my heart ached for what they had.

There were plenty of times I sat at family dinners, painfully aware of the fact that I was the only one at the table with an empty chair next to me.

There were plenty of times I put on a jewel-toned dress for a wedding (as an attendee and a bridesmaid) while I wished with everything in me that I could be putting on a white dress instead.  

And there were plenty of times I wondered if God was really listening when I talked to Him about how badly I wanted to be married.

Like I said, it was some of the hardest years of my life.

But as I’ve thought back on those years these last few months, I’ve found a lot of comfort in the fact that God doesn’t waste anything.

He has a purpose behind every valley we walk through, every waiting season we endure, and every struggle we face.

I got to experience that firsthand last week.

As I’ve mentioned before, my husband Kevin is a youth pastor, and I serve with him in our church’s youth ministry.

I had known for a while that Kevin was planning to do a dating series in the month of February, but a few months back he asked if I would be willing to speak about singleness to kick off the series.

I was so excited to have the chance to speak, especially considering how passionate I am when it comes to talking about singleness. I couldn’t wait for the night of February 7th to get here. But what I didn’t know was that my favorite part of that night was going to have nothing to do with my message.

Normally when Kevin preaches at youth group, he closes his messages by giving the students an opportunity to give their life to Jesus if they haven’t already done so. As I was preparing my own message, I asked him if he wanted me to do the same. He said it was up to me.

Based on the content I had written, there was a pretty easy transition I could make at the end to present the gospel, so I decided I would do it.

So when February 7th finally arrived, I spent 25 minutes talking to the students about how the secret to a better life doesn’t lie in changing their relationship status. It lies in a relationship with Jesus. He is where true fulfillment comes from.

As I closed my message, with everyone’s head bowed and eyes closed, I asked if there was anyone in the room who wanted to experience that kind of fulfillment. I asked if anyone wanted to give their life to Jesus.

And then…

Five girls raised their hands.

I don’t think we get a lot of full-circle moments in life. They seem to be few and far between.

But by the grace of God, I got to experience one of those moments on the night of February 7th.

I got to see first-hand that God doesn’t waste anything.

Because that night, when I saw those five hands go up in the air, I knew without a shadow of a doubt that if I had to go through all of the hard times, all of the tears, all of the waiting, all of the doubts, and all of the frustrations again, just so those five girls could step into a relationship with Jesus…

…I’d do it all again in a heartbeat.

The hard parts of life seem a lot more bearable when we remember that there’s a purpose behind them.

The trials, tribulations, and tears we struggle through seem a little less overwhelming when we look at them with an eternal perspective.

The heaviest parts of our story seem a little more hopeful when we can use them to point others to Jesus.

I don’t know where you’re at today, friend. I don’t know what you’re walking through. I don’t know what you’re struggling with. And I don’t know what’s weighing on your heart. But I do know that there’s a God in heaven who loves you and has a purpose for every single season you navigate while you’re on this earth.  

He doesn’t waste anything. He reminded me of that last week. And I hope that this devotion, today, reminded you of that same truth.

So don’t give up. Don’t give in to the doubts and discouraging thoughts. Don’t assume that what you’re walking through right now is pointless. Instead, trust your Heavenly Father. Believe that He has a purpose for you and for your life. You never know what kind of full-circle moment awaits you a little further down the path.

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If you haven’t already, check out my brand new devotional – For My Single Friend | A 30-Day Devotional. You can purchase your copy at my website now! Happy reading!