Ahh, another Valentine’s Day has come and gone. Depending on what season you’re in, today could have been a tough reminder that you’re still single and all of your friends are married and on their 7th child.
Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” This statement is so true, especially in today’s digital age. If there is any day that you shouldn’t compare your life to anyone else’s, it would be on Valentine’s Day.
The truth is, no one knows the struggles couples and families are going through on a daily basis. Everyone puts their best highlight reels on social media and it’s tempting to think you might be missing out on something when in reality, you could be living your best life right now as a single person.
I’ve learned that to truly be happy in life, you have to develop a grateful spirit. Be happy with the simple things. Be happy for rain so you can wear your cute rain boots. Be happy for snow so you can hibernate inside and curl up with a good book.
Be happy for your single years because this is the time of your life where you can truly develop your passions and work on becoming the person God created you to be.
When I look back on my single years, I feel so lucky to have gone on some amazing adventures and to have had many opportunities to develop my passions.
I’ve been able to explore my passion for travel photography and take workshops in places like Iceland to see the Northern Lights and Cuba where I even took a private salsa lesson and explored the streets of Havana.
I’ve been able to book a trip on a whim and travel to the Caribbean in December because I had a bunch of vacation leave to burn and I wanted to attend a sand volleyball camp in Turks & Caicos.
I’ve been able to grow in my faith and attend World Youth Day in Madrid, Spain where our group went on a pilgrimage to Fatima and then I explored on my own throughout Portugal and Spain. I even hopped over to Lourdes, France for a day trip.
As a former college basketball player, my dream was to play overseas but I never got that chance since I started a job right out of college. But, I still was able to make that dream come true by traveling as a missionary to Brazil with Athletes in Action where I shared my faith with young kids, taught them how to play basketball and competed against the Brazilian Junior National Team…all while still having a full-time job.
Acts of service
I’ve been fortunate to have so much quality time to spend with my family in Pittsburgh and on adventures throughout the world. I treated my parents to a trip to Italy and have been able to bond with them on other adventures to Croatia, Kauai, Belize, and the Florida Keys.
This July, we’re celebrating my parent’s 50th wedding anniversary and just finalized a trip to Croatia, Italy, Greece, and Montenegro!
When I look at my parent’s marriage, I see the true definition of love. Their agape love is based on a sacramental commitment with God at the center.
They have stayed committed to each other through life’s ups and downs and continue to be the best example of sacrificial love that I have in my life today. I can’t wait to celebrate with them this summer.
God-willing, I hope to emulate the kind of sacrificial love they have for each other with my future husband someday.
It hasn’t been easy to surrender my life to Christ. But as a Christian, that’s what I’m called to do every single day. Ultimately, my life is not about me. I’m fully trusting in God’s plan for my love life since He truly knows what’s best for me.
You can still enjoy life to the fullest even while keeping God #1 in your priorities. Ultimately, striving for holiness and leaving your own selfish desires behind will make you a better person and prepare you for marriage.
True love is about sacrifice. It’s about giving up something for the sake of another person. Our culture thinks that love is a feeling, but feelings fade.
That’s why for a Christian, every day is Valentine’s Day. We need to want what is best not only for ourselves but for everyone in our lives.
I mentioned Leah Darrow and her book, “The Other Side of Beauty” in my last post. She gives a great definition of what true love really is in this excerpt:
Love isn’t merely a feeling; it is a desire to seek the good of the one you love. To say “I love you” means “I am going to do everything in my power to do what is best for you.” When we love someone, we want the greatest good, and as
Leah Darrow, The Other Side of BeautyChristians we know that our greatest good is God alone.” Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). If God is the greatest good, love in its most final and perfect form is wanting yourself and others to be as close to God as possible.
So even if you’re single on Valentine’s Day, it’s time to start living life to the fullest right now! You don’t need to wait until you have a partner in crime to do things with, although I can’t wait to travel with my future husband someday.
Start planning and dreaming today and becoming the best version of yourself so that you’re ready when God introduces you to the person you’re meant to spend the rest of your life with.
xoxo,
Hi there! I’m Maria and the creator of this blog. I’m a Fitness Instructor, Multimedia Producer, and Travel Photographer focused on helping women get in shape physically through fun and effective workouts and spiritually through faith-based reflections. Let’s get Fit4Paradise together!