Probably the most common question I get from people I meet is “why did you come to China?” Right behind that is “do you have a Chinese girlfriend?” or, more directly, “do you want a Chinese girlfriend?” Or more awkwardly, “do you like Chinese girls?” Surprisingly, those questions are a lot more related than you think.

It’s Single’s Day in China (11.11), a day in which many Chinese 1s enjoy a dinner with their single friends or try to end their singleness by attending blind date parties. I’ve been thinking about my own singleness lately (I won’t be attending any parties, by the way), and it seems that why I’m in China and why I’m single also go hand in hand.

It’s hard to share why I’m in China… it’s true that I want to teach English. It’s also true that it’s an exciting time to be in China. I often share those things. It’s also true that I want to share my hope with Chinese college students who are often directionless and without hope. I also share this whenever I can.

Regardless of the answers I give, Chinese people often have a hard time understanding why I would leave my family in America, or why I would come to China to make less money than I could make in America. So when I say I’m not married and don’t have a girlfriend, they think they understand why I’m in China: to find a wife. That’s not why I’m in China, but it’s the answer that makes the most sense to them.

And really, my answers in and of themselves don’t make a lot of sense. And neither does my singleness, unless I add the final answer to the question of why I’m in China.

I’m here because I believe God has a purpose and a plan. I’m single because I believe God has a purpose and a plan. For my life. For my students’ lives. If I didn’t believe this, I wouldn’t be here. And though I might still be single, I wouldn’t know the peace that comes from surrendering all of the big questions in life to the One that knows every answer.