Guest Blog: Cindy Hurla

Cindy blogs at The Veil of Chastity.  She is passionate about ministry for single women and aims to offer them wisdom and hope. After enduring many years of singleness, she and her husband - both reverts to their beloved Catholic faith - have been married for over 11 years.

    My first reaction to the question “What is it like to be a woman in the 21^st Century?” is:  

 This is a wonderful time to be a woman!  

    I feel we women have the best of all the potential worlds as well as the support system in place for whatever 'world' we choose.  When it comes to careers, friendships, our faith, personal goals and the many shiny things available to us, the 21^st Century is a pretty friendly place for women.  

    There are many things I appreciate about my 21^st Century life but I will share one aspect that is particularly sweet:  The internet.

Love and Life

    What?  Why, you ask?  What about my husband?  What about our child?  Oh, yes of course they are my life but keep in mind that I would not have met my husband if it were not for the internet.  We met online (read our story here)!      

      

    And, after several miscarriages, I learned about timing and ovulation and so forth…..on the internet!  This gave me great hope, insight and encouragement!  God is the author of all technology and He allows us to apply this gift to accomplish His will!

 

Faith and Knowledge

    What about my faith?  Well, I am able to Google anything and everything.  For example, I heard about a novena to untie the knots in my life.  My friend Mr. Google led me right to it.

    You know, back in the 20th Century if you wanted to find out about our faith, you had to go to a Catholic book store.  Not that going there was terrible! I actually loved going to see the nuns at the Pauline book store.  But, it was like finding a needle in a haystack.  Today, if I need a book, I go to Amazon and LOOK INSIDE!  If it is what I need, I put it in my shopping cart and it arrives 2 days later.  Maybe a bit too friendly....but still friendly!

Facebook and Mercy

    In addition, Facebook has opened up my world because I can quickly keep up with friends and family. Sure, it is easy to get bogged down by Facebook, but I just treat it like a mini-newspaper. Dare I say Facebook provides an opportunity to practice the Spiritual Works of Mercy?  An opportunity to rejoice, comfort and mourn with those I love and care for. An opportunity to be reminded that not everyone thinks the way that I do.  An opportunity to be humbled, to forgive, to be tested, to ponder and to pray for others.  

Spiritual and Virtual Motherhood

    In the last 18 months my world has opened up tremendously through the blogging world.  I now have friends from all over the world and enjoy the role of Spiritual Motherhood to those that are struggling with extended singleness. None of this would be possible without the internet.  Nothing like this existed in the 20th Century. It has blessed me abundantly!

A Blessing or A Curse?

    Is the internet a blessing to single girls?  Some say that technology gets in the way of dating and marriage because our world has become so impersonal.  I am going to take the half-full approach to technology and say that it has opened up the whole world to us.  Just because a guy tries to get to know you via text or facebook does not mean you need to follow his lame lead.  You can be sure that a guy who is serious about you will want to be in your presence.  As I always like to say, "He will want to be near you so he can smell you!" :) 

    Let us see the possibilities and capitalize on the opportunity that is before us today.  Let’s reach out to each other as Sisters in Christ thanking God for our ability to meet, support and show love to one another!

God love and bless you, Cindy