She Wants Singles to Live Life Now

WAITING ON GOD

Christa Smith grew up in a stable Christian home with Catholic roots in a small town in Oregon. Her family was touched by the move of the Holy Spirit when she was only 8 years old. As the youngest of three girls, Christa’s plan was like most girls her age: go to college and get married after graduation. 

During summer break, when Christa was 19, she dated a guy who cheated on her. To make matters worse, when she returned to college, after the summer break, the crush that had rejected her was dating the girl right across the hall from her. Discouraged and disheartened, Christa prayed, “Jesus, I give You my heart. Guard it, shield it, and give it back to me when You want me to give it away.”

Little did she know the profoundness of that prayer. It would be 19 years of singleness before her husband would come. As the years went on, Christa got involved in ministry. This part of her life was exceptional, but Christa’s life still wasn’t going as planned. 

She handled being single relatively well until her 35th birthday. Christa shares, “Something inside me changed that day. I don’t know if I can even describe it. Feelings and emotions I had never experienced swelled up inside me. I felt restless, lonely, and discontent with my singleness. I felt so unsettled.” 

These feelings persisted for several weeks. One day, she heard the Lord ask her a profound question: “Christa if you never get married, will I be enough?” She didn’t answer right away but after reflecting upon His question she responded, “You’re not, but I want You to be.” Immediately, Christa felt His peace again. For the next 18 months, she would have to walk out her decision to surrender everything to the Lord. During this time, Christa began to grieve the loss of her dream. 

Christa had seasons of life when men pursued her. Over the span of 19 years, she was approached by six different men who claimed that God told them she was the one they were supposed to marry. Christa gently let them know that God had not told her that and she wasn’t interested. When men approached her that she was interested in, she prayed about it. God’s response was always, “Not yet.” She also had times when nobody pursued her. Both seasons tested her heart. She explains, “Being single at 38 was certainly not what I thought my life would look like at that age. I felt like every natural milestone that others were experiencing was passing me by.”

It all came down to trusting that God had the best in store for her. She encourages those still waiting on a dream to come to pass to find contentment while still contending for their dream. 

She explains, “To be content ultimately comes down to trust. If you don’t believe that God has your best interest in mind, then you won’t truly trust Him. And if you don’t truly trust Him, then you will never be content.”

THE ART OF WAITING

Christa gives three ways to combat desperation when the wait seems long:

1.    Keep your focus on the big picture. This season in your life is only temporary.
2.    Don’t allow fear to be your driving force. You can reject fear by spending time with God every day.
3.    Don’t remove the God factor. During these times, it’s easy to think the breakthrough depends on us when it depends on the Lord.  

REMOVING THE PAUSE BUTTON

Christa says it’s important not to hit the pause button with your life—waiting until you get married, get a promotion, buy a house, or have kids. She explains, “Just to encourage you, I’ve lived overseas, moved to different states, traveled to various nations, bought a condo, accepted new jobs, and pastored—all while being single.”

THE SHIFT

When Christa was 38 something began to change. She felt like men were beginning to notice her more. Every time someone asked her on a date, she prayed about it and felt God saying it still wasn’t time yet. 

Then, she met Sean who was also a minister. When he asked her out for coffee she prayed and asked God. The Lord said “Yes!” and the rest is history. They got married a few months before she turned 40 and she remained sexually pure for her husband all those years. They’ve been happily married since 2015.

BACKGROUND

Christa’s background includes graduating from Seattle Pacific University with a degree in Communication. She then went on to Hillsong International Leadership College in Sydney, Australia where she completed the Pastoral Ministry Program. She has planted and been director of two Schools of Ministry; one in the San Francisco Bay area and the other in Las Vegas, Nevada. Christa has also served as Associate Pastor at Garden Valley Church in Roseburg, Oregon, then Executive Pastor at Expression 58 in Glendale, California. She and Sean currently reside in the San Francisco Bay area and travel full time.