Single, Just Because: A Pilgrimage into Holy Aloneness, By Bridget Gee alt

Single, Just Because

A Pilgrimage into Holy Aloneness

by Bridget Gee

Single, Just Because
ebook
  • Length: 200 pages
  • Published: October 18, 2022
  • Imprint: IVP
  • Item Code: A0479
  • ISBN: 9781514004791

*affiliate partner

"Why are you single?"

"Just because."

However we answer that question, what's more important than why we are single is how we live as singles. Regardless of our relationship status, all of us are called to a life of vital discipleship. And walking with God can reshape singleness into a pilgrimage of transformation.

Pilgrim and podcaster Bridget Gee shares her singular journey of vibrant life in the kingdom of God. Her travels have become a personal pilgrimage of walking with God and others, experiencing spiritual formation in the ups and downs of literal mountains and valleys. She explores her longings and hopes in vulnerable narratives, navigating issues of identity, community, mental health, dating, sexuality, and more.

Gee invites us into a purposeful story of following Jesus in life not as we think it might be, but as it really is. The pilgrim journey takes us places we did not expect to become people we did not know we could be.

"Bridget Gee approaches this crucial topic with her disarming honesty, wise biblical insights, and one-of-a-kind humor. I have been married for thirty years, but her book helped me want to have a more tender relationship with God, so I guess this is for everyone! Read this book, and you just might learn to be a better friend and how to get closer to God."

Doug Schaupp, national director of evangelism with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA and coauthor with Don Everts and Val Gordon of Breaking the Huddle

"Approachable and winsome, Bridget's story is a welcome reminder that—contrary to popular belief—singleness is not a disease in need of remedy. My own journey has been vastly different from Bridget's in many ways, yet the core truth of our experience remains so much the same: no matter how we arrive at singleness or why we stay here, the same God is ready to meet us in our holy aloneness and take great delight in us."

Gregory Coles, author of Single, Gay, Christian and No Longer Strangers

"In this winsome and confessional book, Bridget challenges the ways Christians conflate singleness with waiting. Instead, Bridget invites readers into a pilgrimage where we discover love, silliness, fullness, delight, connection, and even loss and loneliness as a context for life with God. This story leads all of us to a deeper and more humanizing vision of discipleship."

Jason Gaboury, author of Wait with Me: Meeting God in Loneliness

"In Single, Just Because, Bridget Gee offers a refreshing, relatable, honest, and insightful exploration of the joys and struggles of singleness. Far from being a manual on preparing for what's next, Gee focuses on what's now and how to live fully and faithfully in the tension of longing and contentment. Single, Just Because invites all singles into the richness of God, community, and holy aloneness, and out of self-doubt, distrust, and loneliness."

Alicia Akins, author of Invitations to Abundance

"Very few of us have ever wanted to be 'the singleness gal,' as Bridget Gee puts it. As Gee freely admits, she didn't want to be either. But the grace, patience, and insight that God has given her through her experiences with singleness shine through her story, offering a helpful light to others on the same path."

Gina Dalfonzo, author of One by One: Welcoming the Singles in Your Church

"Profound and funny, spiritual yet irreverent, Bridget Gee deals with the universal themes of longing, friendship, intimacy, and making peace with ourselves. This is not so much a book on singleness as it is on what it means to be human. Single, Just Because sets us on a journey with the author of finding her true self in the midst of pain and loneliness. With hilarious wit and remarkable vulnerability, this book will call all readers—whether single, married, celibate, or sexually active—into a deeper understanding of true intimacy."

Scott Bessenecker, director of global engagement and justice, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA

"In a world where many travel in pairs, it is easy to believe that journeying solo is less than ideal. In her insightful book, Single, Just Because, Bridget Gee invites us to accompany her on a transformative pilgrimage to discover our true worth rooted in the glorious image of God, not in our marital status. The path may be challenging, as the painful realities of loneliness and disappointment appear, but keep traveling. You will encounter an abundance of hope and healing through Scripture, prayers, and authentic stories filled with wisdom. Whether you are single or married, you will enjoy this book as you are reminded of God's faithful character, redemptive power, and the deep love he has for each one of us."

Christine Wagoner, author of Finding Your Yes
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CONTENTS

Introduction: An Invitation into Pilgrimage
1. Singleness Is Not the Problem
2. The Most Romantic One
3. Community Part One: When You Have It
4. Community Part Two: When You Don't Have It
5. Why Am I Still Single?
6. Loneliness
7. Letting Go
8. Embracing My Authentic Self
9. Holy Aloneness
10. Dating and Gender Roles
11. The Virgin One Speaks
12. You Can Do It

Acknowledgments
Notes

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Bridget Gee

Bridget Gee is the spiritual formation coordinator for InterVarsity's Study Abroad programs, where she directs European pilgrimages for students, staff, and partners to experience contemplative and historic followings of Jesus. She is the host of Soladarity: The Singleness Podcast and lives in Tucson, Arizona.