Single's Awareness Day

Paul said this in Galatians 7
"But God gives to some the gift of singleness and to other the gift of marriage(or relationship)."

When I first read this verse it confused me. Singleness a gift? How can that be? By this time I was toying with the ideas of dating or waiting,and could not decide or imagine that being alone and boyfriednd-less as a gift. It may have been considered that for some, but for me it was still nuisance.
I was talking to my friend about it and she had already sort of dated and realized it wasn't for her. She was saying that she was going to enjoy being single while she could, since most of her life (she hoped) she would not be single. I was reminded of that verse. Is that what it meant? I didn't know. But I planned to figure it out so I looked up the verse in my Message Bible to see how that translation worded it. It said,

Don't be wishing you were somewhere else or with someone else, where you are right now is God's place for you. Live and obey and love and believe right there. God, not your relationship status defines you.

I understood then. Singleness isn't just not dating. It's God's place for me to be. If he wanted me to date he would have sent a boyfriend. If he wanted me to be in school and not homeschool he would have sent me there. If he wanted me to be six foot three he would have made me just that. But he didn't. Or he hasn't yet. But if he wants to he will (I hope not the six foot three thing. That would be strange) and I hope to be waiting and willing whenever he decides to put me in a different place.
Singleness is a gift to be treasured just as much as marriage or a relationship is to be. There are tons of good things each offers and each has to be thankful for.
So today, Valentine's Day, or whatever day you happen to be in, remember you are in the place God wants you to be. Live and love there, letting God define you.