Weeping in the Single Journey

“…for the Lord has heard my weeping.”

-Psalm 6:8-

One of the real aspects of Singleness is the heartbreaking reality of weeping in this journey. Weeping can strike has at all different times due to the searing pain and longing in our hearts. To me weeping is going beyond tears. Weeping is completely soulful in the sense that it comes from the deepest part of our hearts. 

Weeping is defined as: "to express grief, sorrow, or any overpowering emotion by shedding tears".  In my experience there are so many times where weeping has taken place in this journey. Like many women who are single, I long to share my life with someone. I long to "live life together" and serve God with someone in our everyday lives. I long to share the celebrations and holidays with someone but even more so I long to share everyday life with someone. I long to be a mama ... I long to serve the Lord as a married woman. All of these things are natural and important, and because these longing and ache is so deep, there are times where it seems like on this journey that I just can not stop the tears from falling and I weep. 

Singleness for me at many times is such a profoundly heart-wrenching area for me that often times the tears are so close to the surface that they start falling with little warning or little encouragement. “I am worn out from sobbing. All night I flood my bed with weeping, drenching it with my tears.” (Psalm 6:6) I find such comfort in this verse from the Psalms as it shows me that the psalmist understood my pain (even though our circumstances have been different). 

There are times where I relate so well with the Psalmist when he says, “my tears have been my food day and night” (Psalm 42:3). There are times where it seems the tears over being single just can’t stop. The grief is that great. “My eyes fail because of tears…” (Lamentations 2:11) Some singles don't struggle in this way, but for me I have found great comfort in the fact that scripture shows us that the Lord understands deep pain and even wept when He was here on earth. He understood tears. “Jesus Wept.” (John 11:35) The smallest verse in the Bible shouts to my hurting heart as I know that the Lord is near to our broken hearts in these times of weeping. He understands our longings and tears. “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses…” (Hebrews 4:15) 

But even though times of weeping happen in this journey, we do not cry or grieve like someone who has no hope. Our hope is in the Lord. Our trust is in Him, for every situation and season in life.  And our precious Lord doesn't just understand, He listens and hears our cries. “…for the Lord has heard my weeping.” (Psalm 6:8) He comforts us and hears our prayers and our weeping and answers us. “I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. Because he has inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.” (Psalm 116:1-2) 

Dear hurting and brokenhearted single friends, hold onto the hope and truth that the Lord hears our weeping and is near. God is always with us friends... may His tender mercy comfort you in this difficult season of longing. “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted, he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” (Psalm 34:18)