Being Single in Europe

I was blessed last month to be invited to speak at a weekend singles conference near Berlin, for single adults who are in the International Baptist churches (English speaking) in this region. This retreat happens twice a year. There were 70 of us from different nationalities (Romanian, American, German, Danish, British, from the Kongo, Italian, etc.) who work in some very interesting jobs in various places throughout Europe—Prague, Rome, Siberia, Nice, Madrid, etc. (and even someone flew in from Dubai). And the music and creative worship team sent by the Kentucky Baptists was just awesome.

I shared 5 messages specifically designed for single adults (but mostly with timeless principles) with varied titles that all fit a mountain climbing theme-- such as: “Reaching the Summit as a Team” (on sharing my faith in the community of others) & “Carrying a Light Pack to the Top” (forgiveness). For those of you who weren’t able to come (smile!), the following is a smattering of quotes from that conference which I thought you might appreciate reading.

• “People have to belong before they believe.” – Karl, Dublin
• The best prepared fisherman, without a pond and without a fish, won’t catch a thing! I have to get to know ‘seekers’ in order to share my faith with them (in my ‘pond’; Matthew 4:19).
• Regarding pain and the emotions we feel when working through forgiveness, sometimes we are not mad; we are actually sad and we need to process that!
• We all need 3 friends: 1) a Pacesetter (Schrittmacher) – mentor; 2) a Peer (Mit- Streiter) – accountability partner, and-or friend; & 3) a Pupil (Schüler) – someone under my wing. (from Waylon Moore)

• Moral standards are like guardrails on a cruise ship, so you can freely enjoy
the smell of the salt and get a load of the spectacular view, without falling
over into the abyss of impurity.

• Avoiding bitterness and embracing forgiveness: one key is to feel your pain (vs. numbing yourself and pretending it’s not there). You get 2 results: you experience God more deeply & stay humble AND you can empathize with others in their hurt and pains (Galatians 6).

• Willi Unsoeld: “...You've climbed the highest mountain in the world. What's
left? It's all downhill from there. You've got to set your sights on something higher than Everest.”

• I get nearer to God in different ways–sometimes by snuggling & sharing & talking, but I’m afraid sometimes I get nearer to Him by ‘wrestling.’ – (see Jacob’s story in Genersis 32:28 & Psalm 73:28)
• “Pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” (C. S. Lewis, The Problem with Pain)