In today's society, being single is something that is looked at as negative. Everyone is looking for love all around them. Everyone wants to love and be loved. People think finding love will complete them and make them whole. People think all their problems will go away if they can just find "the one." As a society, we idolize the idea of being in a relationship.

Many girls want to find their prince charming. Lots of guys want to be the night and shining armor to the girl of their dreams. We all long to be loved.

Is this a bad thing to want? No, not at all! Before we enter into a relationship with another human we need to make sure we are filled and made whole by the only one who can make us whole and filled up. Jesus is the only one who will ever be able to complete us.

I cannot wait to be married when the time comes, but for now I am choosing to be single. I am choosing to spend my nineteenth year seeking after God alone. I want to fully understand God's love for me before I try to give or receive love in a dating relationship. I am spending this year being the strong, independent woman God has created me to be.

This came about when I realized I do not want to date until I am at least twenty. I do not want to date while I am in my teens. I have never really wanted to truly date as a teen because I have never fully felt ready for this. I have been caught up in the idea itself. I never actually wanted a boy friend. Even though I have known for a long time that this is not what I want I kept finding myself fantasizing about what it would be like to have a stud for a boyfriend. I have given my relationships and love life to God many times before, but I have never truly meant it. So now I am giving God full control and I truly mean it. I want to spend my last year as a teen focusing on who I am in my heavenly father. I want to grow closer to God like never before.

This summer I decided to give every last bit of my love life to God. In this next year of my life, I am making a point to remain single. Even beyond this year I am going to continue to fully trust God with my heart. I am not going to go chasing love because I know God will bring it to me. I will wait until his time is right to date.

I know this will not be easy. I have already struggled this summer to think a guy is cute or just really want a relationship, but I know God is doing something in my heart. He is making me into who he wants me to be. I know God has a reason for asking me to remain single for a little longer. I just do not know what this is.

I do know that just in this summer alone I have found myself. I got to spend two months in the middle of nowhere serving God and then I got to take off again to counsel a camp of young people. I wish I could say my plans would not have changed even if I was in a relationship, but I don't think I can. In this next year I am going to continue to be adventurous and grow closer to God.

My relationship status is single because I am choosing to spend this time focusing on my relationship with God and letting him mold me.