Why I'm abstinent

It's a long story but I'm deciding to write it. I grew up a Christian. I was even a Sunday school teacher and youth president at my church. But the issue of sexual purity was always a sensitive and confusing issue for two reasons: 1) the pressures of the world around me (high school, the media, my friends) made abstinence seem out of the question 2) I had no real role models around me that were living pure lives (not just with their mouths, but their lives and their bodies). So I always thought that I would follow the world's way and save it for that right guy. ;-) *rolling eyes*

Until I met this lady....

Do you ever believe that God sends people in your lives at the right time for a purpose? Or that things just happen as a coincidence? I like to believe the former. I used to work at a hair salon and I would always meet interesting people and here their stories. I met this one woman some years ago while I was in high school. She was a little old frail woman who identified as black but looked white and spoke Haitian Creole even though she wasn't Haitian. She told me her life story. She used to be a doctor, worked in a hospital in one of the northern states for some years before she retired here in Florida. She told me that she married her first boyfriend! Can you believe that? She dated one guy and that was the guy she ended up marrying. She was telling me about her daughter and how her hair curled over her face when she was born. It was quite a story now that I think about it. To think: a black female doctor who got married to the first man she dated.

I remember her stressing me to wait on things for my life. That they'll happen in due season. Her tale could've been complete farce but it did encourage me to do something: wait. I would love to say that I waited but I didn't. I had to do it my way. I had my first boyfriend freshman year of college.We broke up by summer's end when we realized we were on two different roads going different directions. Mine's ended at the Lord's feet, his at the feet of another girl my age.

I did learn my lesson though. I (by the blessing of the Lord) was able to keep my physical purity for the most part and I was inspired to keep on keeping on my path to purity. It's a daily decision. Every morning, I have to wake up and think:

• I will not pursue a guy just because I am bored
• I will not pursue a guy just because he is gorgeous
• I will use discernment to do things the right way

Plus, on the real: I want to see how God is going to show up. I like to do this thing where I put God to the test on something. It's awful but I do it anyway because I trust He will do what He says He's going to do. He's faithful. Just as long as I am, too.

Go purity. *fist pump*

Ephesians 5:3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.

1 Corinthians 6:18 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. 19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

Hebrews 12:16 See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son.

Numbers 15:39 You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember all the commands of the LORD, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by going after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes.

Psalm 119:9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.

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I just recently got encouraged by a woman named Dr. Lindsay Marsh. She was a 30-year old virgin, keeping her purity as God intended for it. She started a movement called Worth the Wait revolution. Dr. Lindsay recently got married at 33 to a gorgeous man of God. (Go Lindsay!) And what did she say? God is faithful.