Spontaneous: coming or resulting from a natural impulse or tendency; without effort or premeditation; natural and unconstrained; unplanned
In “Practicing Spontaneity,” Today’s Christian Woman editor Camerin Courtney (the lovely lady who accepted my testimony article) writes about one of the cooler aspects (there are quite a few) of being unmarried with no kids: spontaneity. Like me, Camerin is single. Her article struck a chord with me, especially in light of my recent decision and growing determination to live in Britain for a year.
Although I hope to marry someday and have at least one child, I’m trying to seize every opportunity available to me (while I’m still in good health) to advance my career, take risks, and travel to interesting places until (and if) that happens. Being married with children doesn’t mean you can’t do those things, but singleness makes doing them a lot easier.
The major moves and accomplishments in my life were facilitated by my ability to just pack up and jet. The motivation to do those things was age. After drinking myself silly for 11 years (my poor liver), I set a goal to stop drinking by age 30. After that, I stuffed all my worldly possessions in my car and headed to DC with no job and no place to live. At 35, I figured it was high time to write instead of talk about writing. Now, at age 40, I’m ready for another life-shifting change. What’s more life-shifting than immersing myself in another culture for a year?
Anyway, Camerin covers the ordinary, everyday side of spontaneity:
Practicing spontaneity: It sounds like an oxymoron. But I’ve been doing it lately nonetheless. Seizing spur-of-the-moment opportunities. Feeling the pull of the current moment and dropping everything to go with the flow.
My singleness certainly plays a role in my new love affair with spontaneity. While visiting my sister and brother-in-law and their two kids (the niece and nephew!) last month, I suddenly saw anew how much planning and work and snack distribution are involved in any activity during that life season.
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Sometimes, after so many years of singleness, I have to dig deep and be very intentional about finding the good aspects of this life stage. Whoopee, I’ve got the remote control all to myself. Wahoo, I can hog the whole bed and all the covers. Some days these perks feel like wonderful guilty pleasures, and other days they just seem silly and insufficient…But suddenly my single life seemed lithe and nimble and spontaneous. And I felt grateful for each opportunity to work this perk of the single stage.
…and the spiritual side:
I think practicing spontaneity has spiritual benefits as well…Surely part of God’s plan is for us to make the most of where we are—learning to be content in any situation, choosing to revel in the blessings he’s given us today.
While we’re making plans and setting goals, Christians must be attuned to what God would have us do. For instance, my desire to go to the UK might be God’s way of getting me over there to witness to a particular person or to reach certain people. Or my future husband or new friends might be there, waiting for me to cross the pond. Who knows? My singleness and childlessness (and work-from-home job!) give me the flexibility to just get up and go.
Is it a purely carnal, me-focused call I hear, or is it Christ whispering, Come, follow me? Even if it’s the former, God still can use it for his own purposes.
And willingly, although slightly fearful, I’ll follow.
