“[Not] Officially An Old Maid”

There’s an early episode of the Mary Tyler Moore show, where Mary’s best friend Rhoda exclaims, “When I turned 21 & still wasn’t married my mother officially declared me an old maid. I think she had it notarized.” Sure, we can laugh at the outlandishness of this line in a retro sitcom, but in reality there is truth to the fact that age & singleness carries with it a bitter stigma, whether it’s by the world, our families, or even just ourselves as we feel our inner clock’s loud ticking {& all but forget about God’s mysterious perfect timing, I might add}. The more candles on the cake, the more it can feel like your single status is the ailment without a cure. Now, 21 is certainly not an age that should be worried about its marital status, because if there’s any truth to Rhoda’s quip then I must really be an old maid/decrepit spinster girl {cause I’m well past 21}. 

 Recently, in my own life, I had a true blue moment of my own that made me feel rather {okay, a lot} old maidish… I attended the wedding of my nephew. Yes, it’s true we’re only 4 years apart, which is closer in age than to either of my sisters {his mother is more than 10 years my senior}. But still, he is my nephew. It seems like there should be an order to the universe that lets the maiden aunt walk down the aisle before her nephew, but you know what? It’s not been in God’s plan for this aunt, & I’m truly opening my heart to the truth that His will – which encompasses all that He sees & knows {which is everything} – really is in my best interest. I can let go of my sinful selfishness & trust that Christ is my loving, fully satisfying, first love & all knowing Father that’s got it under control. It’s been a process & I definitely had to banish {& take captive (2 Corinthians 10:5)} some self-pitying thoughts along the way, but I can truly say that I fully enjoyed the beautiful wedding celebration of my nephew & his bride.

 Me, an old maid? I think not! I’m a daughter & servant of the King; a part of the bride of Christ! 

Love, 
-Bess-