Being a Christian as a family of one?

[Bruce-Leiter]

When my dear wife of 56 years died suddenly almost four years ago, it was a shock how she died down our condo stairs and was a huge adjustment. After all, she was a master household and financial manager, besides being my loving companion.

For a while, I was open to God's guidance of whether or not he wanted me to get married. In my small group, one of the men prayed for me to get married again, but the realization that God wanted me to remain single (1 Corinthians 7) settled into my life.

Instead of looking at women as potential wives, I began seeing them as fellow creatures of God.

What struggles and victories have you who have been called to a life of singleness have?

 

[Jay Ross]

I was in a church where the women ganged up against a young widow and prayed for her to find a new husband as quickly as possible. Their prayer was because of their fear that their husband(s) might find the young widow more attractive than they were and to protect their relationship they imposed nearly a curse upon the young widow to enter into another marriage quickly.

The young widow found a new partner/companion shortly after that and the church women became settled once again.

I am not sure how the young widow's marriage faired as I lost contact with her. She moved away from that church.

When people pray for a particular outcome, we need to understand what their motive might be for them to pray to resolve a perceived problem in their understanding that we might have. Loss of a life partner might seem to create a problem for the remaining partner, but it is also an opportunity for the partner to grow in areas where others have dominated and controlled. It can be an opportunity for the remaining partner to grow.

 

[Bruce-Leiter]

I was in a church where the women ganged up against a young widow and prayed for her to find a new husband as quickly as possible. Their prayer was because of their fear that their husband(s) might find the young widow more attractive than they were and to protect their relationship they imposed nearly a curse upon the young widow to enter into another marriage quickly.

The young widow found a new partner/companion shortly after that and the church women became settled once again.

I am not sure how the young widow's marriage faired as I lost contact with her. She moved away from that church.

When people pray for a particular outcome, we need to understand what their motive might be for them to pray to resolve a perceived problem in their understanding that we might have. Loss of a life partner might seem to create a problem for the remaining partner, but it is also an opportunity for the partner to grow in areas where others have dominated and controlled. It can be an opportunity for the remaining partner to grow.

In my case, I came to understand that God wants me concentrating my book and online ministries, the way Paul says in 1 Corinthians 7.