Significant other

I am 23 years old and are trying to find a significant other. I have been praying on and off for the last 4 years to God to send someone my way and bless me with a relationship. In an ideal world she would be WELS or ELS. In time I've grown slightly weary. How do I know when or who it would be? What do I do?

For starters, I would encourage patience on your part. God’s design for marriage is that it be lifelong (Matthew 19:4-6). If marriage is that serious (and it is), then waiting for the right person and putting time into the relationship before marriage is worth it.

You may not perceive what I write next as being entirely encouraging to you, and I understand that, but I pass it on for you to keep your life’s circumstances in perspective. You might be interested to know that information from the United States Census Bureau indicates that the median age for American men at their first marriage is 29; for women, it is 28. You will draw your own conclusions from those numbers.

I would encourage you to keep bringing your petitions to God in prayer (Philippians 4:6). God has promised to hear and answer your prayers according to his love and wisdom (Isaiah 65:24).

Finally, you might be interested to know that there is a WELS/ELS singles group on Facebook. Individuals in that group might be able to let you know if there are similar groups that meet in person in your area. God’s blessings to you!