Advice For Singles Who Need A Pick-Me-Up

I had a lot of fun during the years I was single. I lived in Branford, Conn., close to the beach and had easy travel access to Manhattan and Long Island, Philadelphia historical sites and Vermont skiing. Sunday brunch and a stroll in Central park, going boating on the Connecticut River or a having a late night dinner after seeing the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at Carnegie Hall are some of my favorite memories of being on my own and sharing my time with friends and dates.

But there were always the times when I was alone. Some of these days on my own weren't any big issue, they were more a sort of necessity for regrouping. But often my days spent by myself were overwhelmingly lonely. I didn't want to make dinner for myself, I wanted a table full of noisy, hungry children. I would have preferred to lovingly pick my future husband's socks and underwear off the floor instead of folding my own boring basket of laundry. I was 35 years-old at the time and beginning to feel like I would always be alone.

It was depressing.

However, it was in these quiet times I remember receiving distinct consolations from God — almost to the point of receiving a whisper in my ear — letting me know He was with me and I was never alone.

One of these incidents occurred on a highly frustrating day I experienced. From the time I woke up, my mind was consumed with financial worries, frustrations at work, feeling lonely, and ultimately getting terribly lost on my way to an appointment I was already late for. I entered the parking lot of the office where my appointment was and I broke out in tears. I remember thinking, "I need to talk to someone and just get all this off my chest. Who can I call?"

It was at that exact moment the Holy Spirit inspired me. In my mind I could see an image of the Blessed Sacrament exposed in a beautiful monstrance and heard a voice within me that said, "I am all that you need. You don't need anything else, just Me."

Consolation flooded my heart and I knew what I heard was true. It had been some time since I had spent an hour in adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and just had some alone time with Him. Just the thought of being in that peaceful quietness made me feel better. I calmed down and that evening, I spent time in my parish adoration chapel in thanksgiving for His consolations and left my worries at the foot of the cross.

A bridge over troubled waters  

Christ is all we need, my friends. In any circumstance and in every state of life, He is all the sustenance we need. We live in a time where so many people have no idea who Christ is. Having a good time, being wealthy and powerful seems to be all that matters anymore in society and as Christians, we need to be the leaven in the bread, the light of the world, the salt of the earth. We need to remain sharp and alert. Spending time in adoration will give you all that you need to live in this world full of temptations and distractions.

It's important to remember that every state in life has its struggles. I remember a priest telling me that priests in general consider married life to be a much more difficult calling than the priesthood. Wow. It seems like it would be the opposite.

These days, I miss the quiet time I used to have and the ability to freely move about the country as I pleased. I miss that simple, single load of laundry compared with the six loads I currently battle. I miss enjoying the steamed veggies and other healthy dishes I like instead of hearing, "I don't like that, Mommy!" "I'm not hungry!" "Can I have something else, please?" It's like living with three little food critics. But I wouldn't trade it for anything. For every state in life, there are pros and cons, wouldn't you say?

So everyone at some point or another needs a little pick-me-up. Why not get yours at your parish adoration chapel? He is there for you to inspire you, cheer you up, console you, validate you. And He is always there, waiting for you.