Life in the Single Lane
Accepting God's Gift In This Season of Your Life
by Aprill M. Brunson

A book written by a single woman to single women.

Topics include:
• Viewing and accepting the gift of singleness
• Trading in your imperfect plan for God's impeccable one
• Sending out an SOS (Single of Service)
• Becoming a woman of God
• Setting your sights high for Mr. Junior Right (God is Mr. Right)
• Thinking ahead
• Purity no matter the cost
• And much more!

"Mothers with young daughters and girls 'driving in the single lane,' will love reading Aprill's story. She has woven humor throughout the pages while encouraging the single girls to put their faith in God. He is more than capable as Aprill writes to answer your prayers. Aprill's message is to hang in there not hang out!"

- Patricia Marshall
mother of 6 and grandmother of 2

Excerpt from "Life in the Single Lane" -

     All you've ever wanted to do is get married and be a homemaker, raising your children in the Lord. Other girls are going to college and getting a career. And out of these two categories of girls, which one seems to be producing a married one? Yep, you guessed it. It seems that the girls getting married around you are the ones going for those letters after their names. It doesn't make any sense! Lord, all I want to do is be what you have called women to be…homemakers! And I'm not the one getting married. I am perpetually driving down a never-ending, unceasing, spinsterish lane. What is up with this!? [Or perhaps it's another category for you, but despite which one it is, it seems that you're in the wrong division.]

     When I voiced this frustration to a friend of mine, she calmly reminded me that God rains on the just and on the unjust alike. Now, that doesn't mean that girls in one category are just and the other are unjust, but that God sometimes rains on someone else when we think He should rain on us. There is no partiality with God.

     Despite our inability to get into God's mind and figure out what it is He's planning, there is something we can do about our senseless situation. We can trust.

     Trust is about putting your faith in God about that which you can't see, perceive, understand, grasp or when things just don't make any sense whatsoever and your understanding and rational have failed. "Now faith is the substance [assurance] of things hoped [trusted] for, the evidence [proof] of things not seen." (Heb 11:1, KJV) Faith is about trusting God in the unknown. If we know it already, there is no reason to trust, believe, rest or rely upon the Lord. "…Hope [faith or expectation] that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?"(Rom. 8:24, KJV) Corrie ten Boom encourages us by saying, "Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God." We may not know what is down the road, but God does - He planned it, created it and it is good.

     Here is a way to define trust:

     The T is for Tasting and seeing that the Lord is good (Psa. 34:8). "The LORD is good to all…" (Psa. 145:9) No matter what. Because God is good everything He does is good. That is just who God is. He is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). In order to trust, you have to have a right view of God and who He is. Believing Him, taking Him at His word. Knowing He won't ever let you down. Believing He will do everything according to His character. God is not going to do something that is a contradiction to His character or His Word. Doubting what He says is not trusting. If you have a distorted view of God, it does not allow you to trust Him completely and unconditionally.

     The R is for Relinquishing your will, desires and dreams to Him. If we hold on to what we want or think we want, there is no room for what God has for us. I guess that means we're back to giving everything up to Him - wholly, utterly, entirely, completely. Give it all or don't give it at all. It is all or none and none for all - your nothingness, His everything. C.S. Lewis said, "To walk out of his [God's] will is to walk into nowhere."

     The U is for Understanding that He has your best in mind and that His plan is the best one for your life. Whatever is going on, whatever kind of traffic jams you find yourself in, rest assured that it will work out for God's glory and your good, because that is a promise that He's made. Remember Romans 8:28? "All things work together for good…" And God doesn't go back on His promises. He keeps every one of them. He said it. Believe it. As C.S. Lewis also said, "God allows us to experience the low points of life in order to teach us lessons we could learn in no other way." 1 Peter 5:10 says, "But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you." (KJV)

     The S is for Standing firm in who you are in Christ Jesus and in what He has called you to do through His strength. Put on that armor He has given to you and go out and accomplish what He has called you to. It doesn't matter what the circumstances are or the trials that come at you. He who has called you is faithful. Stand firm in that. Stand firm in Him. "Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." (Ephesians 6:10-12)

     This T is for Totally and utterly relying on Him, His strength, His grace, His peace, His joy, and His comfort. Leave everything in His hands. He is capable of handling any situation, any hardship, any confusing thing that will and can happen in your life and in the lives of those around you. Nothing is too big or too small for God to handle.

     Another thing we need to remember is what Philippians 4:19 says, "And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." Yes, God will supply, furnish, satisfy, accomplish, complete, fulfill and perfect your every need. Matthew 6:8 says, "…for your Father knows what you need, before you ask Him." But notice it doesn't say, "God will supply your every want." There is a difference between the two - a BIG one!

     In one of Elisabeth Elliot's books, she said that if God doesn't give it to you, then you don't need it. Therefore, if I don't have a husband right now, then I don't need one. I may want one, but remember, need and want are two different things. You may feel lonely and feel like you need someone just to give you a hug, but if God doesn't send someone to give you that hug, then you must not need it as much as you think you do.

     Now this is where I say, "Ouch!" When I realized I needed to apply this idea in a smaller sense, I would have cried had I been by myself. I greatly struggle with this one because I am one of those people who love to get and give hugs. Physical touch is one of my love languages so I like LOTS of hugs. But if God doesn't send someone to give me those hugs, then they are a want, not a need. And that is so hard for me to swallow when I feel like I "need" someone to give me a good hug. (I want to cry just writing about it.) God promises that He will supply our every need. Therefore you and I have to claim that and believe He will do just exactly as He says. God said it. Believe it. (And I'm unmistakably talking to myself too!)

     One of my heroes is Robert E. Lee, General of the Confederate Army. He said, "God's will ought to be our aim, and I am quite contented that His designs should be accomplished and not mine." May it be true in my own life and in yours.

     Never forget that God is the sensible solution to any senseless situation. He can handle everything that comes His way. He is never surprised, never alarmed, never at a loss for what to do next. He is the Driver who is always prepared for any kind of road conditions. When you feel like things just don't make any sense whatsoever, give it to the Lord and it will be all right. And you've heard it straight from the Old Maid's mouth! :)