Many American churches have taught their young people a harmful ideology that Jackie Hill Perry calls the “heterosexual gospel.” I resonate with Perry’s message, as I was misguided by this teaching in my teenage years.

The story that I am living is very different than the one I would have penned. I can honestly say that the story God wanted to write for me has exceeded every expectation I could have for my life. However, living as a “prolonged single adult” in a Christian world that often idolizes marriage and family can sometimes be a lonely place.

When I placed the silver “True Love Waits” ring on my fifteen-year-old finger, I never dreamed that I would still be single into my 40s. Growing up in the South, expectations included getting married in your early 20s so you can begin adulting and start your own family. In retrospect, I didn’t even have a category for people like me. Today, most churches still don’t have a category for people like me.