Single and Not Sorry: Devotions of Real Encouragement for Right NowSample

Emergency Contacts

Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body and we all belong to each other.

ROMANS 12:4–5 NLT

We all need an emergency contact: at the doctor, at work, even when booking a vacation. As single women, this simple box that appears over and over again on informational forms can tug at our anxiety and reignite our sadness over our relationship status. If we aren’t in the right headspace, it can remind us that we aren’t coupled up and that we don’t have a built-in, go-to person. But just because we don’t have an obvious emergency contact does not mean we’re alone. Far from it! As Romans tells us, we are an essential part of the body of Christ. It doesn’t mention our relationship status or our dating mishaps. God opens up opportunities for relationships with friends who feel like brothers and sisters who are deeply invested in our lives.

We all have a support network: at church, in our various friend groups, and with our family. If we dedicate ourselves to this community, investing our time and energy in relationships, a deep bond of brotherhood and sisterhood will emerge. As these verses show, God’s plan is for us to be united with others. When we get sick and need help, it only feels natural to call up one of our friends. When we’re stressed and need to talk through an issue, we have understanding friends and family on speed dial. When we need an emergency contact, it’s a matter of which person to choose, not of racking our brain for a willing body. This deep and trusting community will take time, but God knows the desires of your heart. His plan for you is to be an essential member of the body. He has created you as a part of a community that cares for and loves one another, no ring required.

Right Now Reminder:

You are loved by so many and you are part of a beautiful community that cares for you. We belong to one another.