Real Love Waits

We spent the better part of the week between Christmas and New Years at our friends house in Havelock, NC. While we were there we attended an Oyster Roast/ECU Bowl Game Party. At this party we met a young girl who is a freshman in College. She told Joe and I all about how she wears a purity ring and how much she values her own purity. I am not going to lie...Joe and I were both surprised at how willing this young lady, who never met us before, was so willing to have this type of conversation with us. She was at the party with her parents and Joe had spent the better part of the day speaking with her dad. She and her mom came to the party later on.

As we stood their listening to her - we were also asking the parents, what was your trick? What did you do to help her understand how to value herself in this way? Then it hit me...her dad had to be showing her a real life example on how she should be treated. I made sure to tell him that too. I truly am a firm believer in the fact that a dad can really set the tone for the type of treatment his daughter will expect from someone she dates and then her husband.

This young lady told us how it isn't always easy but she tries to spend her time with friends who have a similar outlook on things like this. She doesn't exclude people from her life...but she does spend more time with people "like her."

At one point I thought Joe was going to hug the life out of this poor girl - he was so overwhelmingly impressed with her. And trust me, if you really know Joe, you know he just doesn't randomly hug young girls.

I asked her to let me see her ring. The inscription on it was "Real Love Waits" - I looked at her and said - "It really will. I know I have just met you but I just want to say one thing to you. I know it will not always be easy for you but remember that this is one of the most valuable gifts you can give to someone...and once you give it, you can't get it back. Continue to look for someone who sees and values purity in the same way that you do."

Meeting this young lady was possibly the highlight of our week - it was all about her willingness to share her reasoning behind her choices with 2 adults that she just met. To me it said a lot about her character as well as her parents. They were a great family who we feel blessed to have met.

We pray that years from now Danielle will be having a conversations like this with people.