Single and Satisfied. Ronald P. Hutchcraft

      

      Single and Satisfied:

      How to Have Relationships Without Regrets and Success Without Scars

      By Ron Hutchcraft

      Copyright 2012 Ronald P. Hutchcraft,

      All rights reserved.

      Published in eBook format by Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.

      Converted by http://www.eBookIt.com

      ISBN-13: 978-1-9351-7714-2

      Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. The "NIV" and "New International Version" trademarks are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica. Use of either trademark requires the permission of Biblica.

      No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

      Navigating the Single Life

      There has never been a generation like this. Singles are nearly 44% of the adult population in America today. They are part of a very, very powerful group. In fact, the word “single” means so many different things these days. Some people are single, some people are single again, and some people are single parents. Some are a blend of those.

      Someone who has been single his whole life and is known for being very joyful and very contented as a person was once asked, “How can you be so joyful?” He said, “I’d rather go through life wanting what I don’t have than having what I don’t want. The desirable has always been unattainable, and the attainable has always been undesirable.”

      In the whole area of people relationships these days, we are in a whole new territory. Whether you’re single or married, whatever category you’re in, it is a challenge trying to live with the stresses and the pressures of life.

      In the first century BC, they didn’t have very good maps. There was a Roman battalion and their mission took them beyond the line on the map. The Roman Commander sent a messenger back to Rome with a simple message. He said, “Please send new orders. We have just marched off the map!” That just might be where we are in our world, don’t you think? We have marched off the map.

      There is no map for relationships like there are today. This generation is nothing like the generations that preceded us. Marriage doesn’t mean what marriage used to mean. Sex doesn’t mean what sex used to mean. Family doesn’t mean what family used to mean. Job security doesn’t mean what job security used to mean. Financial security doesn’t mean what financial security used to mean. We’ve marched off the map!

      Generations before us had a map and everyone went by it, but today the map is out the window. When you’re living in a world without a map, it’s real easy to get lost...and easy to end up buying some lies.

      Our society today has created some ways of living and some ideas about love, happiness, security, significance, and success that sound good, and the majority of people are buying them. One generation after another has tried to follow these lies, and so many people end up with disappointment, disillusionment, and despair. Our goal here is to expose the lies that too many singles buy, and try to come up with the truth about love, success, and significance.

      Do you remember what kind of adventure Bill and Ted had? Excellent! If you were to climb a large sand dune, you would probably have a beautiful view after an excellent adventure. You would climb and climb, and your legs would work very hard to try to get up there. When you go up sand, though, it’s much activity and little progress. It’s just not very much fun. You think you’re finally at the top and there is another sand dune! You think, “What I’m looking for is just over the next hill.” Unfortunately, it’s usually not.

      Some people live their whole life like that—trying to find love, fulfillment, and worth. Some of us started climbing a sand dune a long time ago. Then when we got to the top of the hill, there was just another sand dune. We’ve been climbing sand dunes to nowhere all of our life and putting out a lot of effort, but there isn't much to show for it in terms of love and fulfillment. Those sand dunes represent the lies that too many of us buy.