In rereading Jane Austen’s Emma I couldn’t help but laugh when I came across a conversation between Emma and friend Harriet in which Emma confidently claims that, beyond their unmarried state, she and the spinster Miss Bates could never be anything alike. Harriet replies,
“But still, you will be an old maid! And that’s so dreadful!” 
“Never mind, Harriet, I shall not be a poor old maid; and it is poverty only which makes celibacy contemptible to a generous public!”
  As silly as their comments are, they were strangely appropriate considering I had recently been thinking about the practical and emotional difficulties of singleness.
  I don’t want to generalise and claim that single men and women face harder or greater difficulties than our married counterparts (especially when you factor children into the equation!). Nor do I want to suggest that all singles face the same issues. I can only speak about my own concerns as a single Christian woman heading into theological study and ‘vocational’ ministry. 
It is helpful and important for Christians to be aware of some of the issues facing our single brothers and sisters in a society that is primarily based upon the family unit.
  Not surprisingly some of those issues have a dollar sign in front of them: the monetary implications of trying to survive on a single income, or financial planning for the future. For example (and of course, speaking personally) to save for Bible college I am living with my parents. In fact, I am yet to move out of home for the first time. This means that when I move into the ministry workforce I will literally need to take my one household possession (a blue Fantastic Furniture sofa bed) and set up my home from scratch.
The prospect of establishing my own home on a single ministry income (without the aid of a wedding register) is daunting, and in chatting with a number of single friends I have found I am not alone.
  Another issue facing single men and women is the loneliness of not having anyone to come home to at night. Loneliness is without a doubt one of the most emotionally challenging concerns for singles, even in our loving Christian communities. I don’t relish the thought of a time in the future when, after a particularly hard day in pastoral ministry, I come home to an empty house. 
    There is also the fact that many single men and women long for a family, for a spouse and children, and it can be gut-wrenching to not have that longing realised.
  According to Paul there is great joy to be found in singleness and, contrary to popular opinion, marriage does not solve all problems (indeed it has its own). Both single and married Christians need to be encouraging each other to take Paul’s words seriously, to endeavour to find contentment in their situation despite their concerns, and to remember that the God of comfort urges us to bring all our anxieties to Him in prayer.

Dani Treweek works for the University Churches, UNSW and runs a graphic design business, Digital Canvas. She attends St John’s, Maroubra.