Whether you are married, single, waiting, or longing for a change, there is a quiet question that follows us through every season. Is this where I am supposed to be?

In Episode 25 of the Grounded Growth Podcast, Nicole and Stephanie sit down for an honest conversation about marriage and singleness. They share their own stories, name the expectations we put on each season, and talk about what it actually means to live faithfully right where you are.

This is not an episode about fixing your season. It is about being faithful in it.

Why Every Season Comes With Its Own Struggle

There is no season of life that is free of struggle. Marriage carries its own. Singleness carries its own. Waiting carries its own. So does parenting, widowhood, and longing for change.

Stephanie shares that one of the current struggles in her marriage is walking through her husband Adam's discontentment with his job. It requires constant conversations about purpose, patience, and trusting God's timing while still pursuing change.

Nicole talks openly about the role reversal in her own marriage when she became the breadwinner of the household, and how that came on top of an already difficult season that included an eight month separation from her husband James.

The honest truth is this. Every season comes with unique pressure. And every season is an opportunity to grow in Christ-likeness.

What Happens When We Misplace Our Expectations

One of the biggest traps we fall into is placing our hope and identity in our relationship status.

We tell ourselves things like, if James would just go to church with me, everything else would fix itself. If Adam would just help with the laundry, my day would feel easier. If I were just married, I would feel complete.

But no person and no situation can satisfy the deepest longings of our hearts. Only Christ can.

When we build our lives around anything other than Jesus, we will always end up disappointed. Whether you are single or married, the deepest need you carry is already met in Christ. Start there.

A Word on Submission

The word submission can be a trigger word for women, but it is not what we have been led to believe.

Stephanie talks about a study she did through Randy Pope's Journey Bible Study, and how submission, when seen through Scripture, is not about being less than. It is about being with.

Just as Jesus willingly submitted to the Father, not out of weakness but out of unity and purpose, wives are called to come alongside their husbands. Equal in value. Different in role. United in purpose.

Husbands, in turn, are called to love sacrificially. To lead, serve, and care in a way that reflects Christ.

Marriage works when both are living out their roles with selfless hearts and faithful obedience to God. Not perfectly. Faithfully.

A Word on Singleness

If you are single, your life is not on pause. You are being shaped right now.

Singleness is also a calling. It carries purpose. It is not a holding pattern until your real life begins.

Invest deeply in your relationship with the Lord. Build meaningful Christ-centered community around you. Look for ways to serve. Trust that God is using this season just as much as any other.

You are not behind. You are exactly where God needs you to be right now.

Practical Ways to Live a Grounded Season

Nicole and Stephanie share four practical ways to stay grounded no matter the season you are in:

1. Prioritize your relationship with God first. Daily prayer, daily scripture, daily honesty with the Lord. The ROOTS Morning Journal was designed to make this rhythm simple to keep.
2. Seek out a community of believers. Surround yourself with people who point you back to Christ, encourage you to grow, and remind you of truth when you forget it.
3. Look for opportunities to serve and use your gifts. Bless your church. Bless your community. Be life giving to others.
4. Practice gratitude and contentment. Focus on God's goodness in your current circumstances, not the circumstances you wish you had.

The Faith Layer

Philippians 4:11. I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.

Paul says he learned contentment. It did not come naturally. It was learned through struggle. Through hardship. Through choosing God in the middle of what felt impossible.

Contentment is not about getting what we want. It is about trusting God with what He has given us. Your spouse is not your provider of identity, peace, or fulfillment. God is.

When you feel an unmet need, the question becomes, am I looking to someone else for something only God can give?

Faithful Obedience as a Quiet Testimony

Faithful obedience means choosing God in the situation, not your feelings.

When your spouse irritates you. When the laundry is on the floor. When the season feels hard. When the wait feels long. Faithfulness looks like the small daily choice to keep your eyes on Christ.

That kind of faithfulness becomes a quiet testimony. First Peter 3 reminds us that our conduct can reflect Christ in ways that soften hearts and point others back to Him.

You are not a single Christian or a married Christian. You are a Christian. Rooted in Christ.

In This Episode, You'll Hear

• Why every season carries its own unique struggle
• The story behind Nicole and James, and the year that changed them
• The biblical reframe of submission as unity, not weakness
• Why singleness is not a holding pattern
• Four practical ways to stay grounded in any season
• The Philippians 4:11 reframe of contentment as a learned posture
• What faithful obedience looks like in the everyday

Continue the Conversation

• Listen to the Podcast. You can listen to Episode 25 and explore the full Grounded Growth podcast here. www.groundedgrowth.org/podcast
•  Try the ROOTS Morning Journal. A simple daily rhythm of scripture, reflection, and prayer that helps you stay grounded no matter the season. groundedgrowth.org/store
•  Grab Your Weekly Reset. Our free Weekly Reset guide helps you plan your week with intention instead of reaction. groundedgrowth.org/WeeklyReset

Stay grounded and keep growing.