Not this year

 This weekend is the Marriage Retreat at my church, and (confession ) I’ve had it on my calendar every single year since I moved here in 2017 
.
 This year marks 5 years of believing “this will be the year that I’ll get to go!” and it also marks 5 years of not getting to go.
.
Yup.
 years of hoping for something that hasn’t yet come to pass
 years of dreaming about having this experience with my husband
 years of setting this time aside, just in case
 years.
.
That’s a long time to want something, anticipate something, be exciting about something, and desire something that doesn’t feel any closer now than it did when I first learned about this event 5 years ago 
.
Still single.
Still loving and living my life.
Still being vocal and intentional about meeting my man.
Still walking our love story out (just not with him, yet).
Still no idea who he is.
.
 And still full of faith!
.
If y’all know anything about me, you know that I love (ALL!) animals, coffee, and  encouraging women around being excited about their husband (even when life isn’t giving any clues about who/when/how we’ll meet)!
.
So this This is simply another example of how to walk through this season
.
 No sense in trying to hide my desires. No sense in trying to stifle them, subdue them, or pretend they don’t exist.
.
 Instead, I welcome them. I let others in with me. I share publicly because it helps me process, and I believe it makes a difference for other women – showing them you can have both!
.
 You can be single AND you can love your life.
 You can desire to meet your man AND you can live fully in the meantime.
 You can look forward to something AND maybe it doesn’t happen when you think (but there’s still hope)!
.
 Ladies, I get it. I so know how much you look forward to meeting your man, knowing who he is, getting to go to marriage retreats together and build with one another. I truly get it.
.
 AND, be encouraged – just because it’s not happening how you thought it would, in the timing you thought it would, doesn’t mean it’s not happening!
.
It simply means it’s going to be an epic surprise when it happens. And IT WILL HAPPEN 
.
 Keep on living your life.
 Keep learning who you are.
 Keep pouring into your people.
 Keep growing.
 Keep learning.
 Keep praying for him and your marriage together.
 Keep at it, and know you’re not alone!
.
 If you are wanting to do all of the above, but not sure how, then you’re invited to join my Growth and Grace mentorship  It’s literally all of this. It’s discovering who you are, learning to truly love life (regardless of who’s in it or not right now ), and truly enjoying what’s in front of you!
.
 It’s creating your own version of the Successful Babe life, and lifting others up along the way!
.
Curious if you’re ready to step into that and what it would look like? Email me at growthandgracelife@gmail.com and let’s connect!