Mandy’s Story:
Snowflakes fell upon my eye lashes while tears of joy dripped down my cheeks. I stood in amazement in the middle of a snowy forest staring into the eyes of the man I just promised to be with forever. After he slipped that flawless diamond on my finger, he gave me his first kiss ever! I was his first girlfriend, his first kiss, his first love. I honestly never expected to have a love story as beautiful as mine.
As I watched my friends “hook up” and “break up” with people every few months, I decided that was not what I wanted to do. I wanted to do something different. In junior high, I had made a commitment to save sex for marriage. For me, breaking this commitment was never an option.
I had not seriously dated anyone until my sophomore year of high school. Thankfully my decision to be abstinent left me clear minded enough to know this guy was not for me. After that relationship ended, I was left with one big question, “what’s the purpose of dating, anyway?”
That question lead to a journey of being single and loving it. At this point I had made it up in my mind that the next guy I officially dated had to be the man I was going to marry.
For the next 5 years of my life, I was free to become involved in sports and music in high school, go to college, travel the world (Africa, Brazil, and London), and figure out who I am and what I enjoy without anything holding me back. This was a decision I would never regret!
Then one beautiful day my junior year of college when I was 21 years old, the guy I had my heart set on took me out for coffee. He began sharing his heart for me and told me, “I am interested in getting to know YOU.” I want to court (court= old school term that means date with the intention to marry) you for the next year or so with the intention of marrying you in the future. You don’t have to worry about me playing with your heart and breaking up with you if we get into an argument, or a disagreement. It’s not like that. I am committed to protecting you and honoring you in this relationship. Also, because I want to protect you, I want to wait to even kiss you.
Was this guy FOR REAL?!?! Was I in a DREAM?!?!
I found out before Matthew had even asked to court me, he spent a summer thinking and talking about me to friends and family. The following fall he asked my father permission to pursue me, and then he took me out to coffee, and asked to court me. I felt like the most respected and honored woman in the world! Finally, a man who was interested in getting to know ME, and not my body… a man who was willing to protect me and fight for me like a real man!
It was a year and a half later when I found myself in a beautiful forest on Thanksgiving morning, where snowflakes fell upon my eye lashes while tears of joy rolled down my cheeks. I stood in amazement in the middle of a snowy forest staring into the eyes of the man I just promised to be with forever. On Thanksgiving Day, 2006 Matthew gave me my first red rose, my first diamond ring, along with his first “I love you”, and we shared our first kiss. This was a day worth waiting for! I am so glad that I did not settle for anything less than the best! Matthew and I were both virgins when we were married on May 20, 2006. Our decision to wait to have sex until marriage has strengthened our trust, our love, and our respect for one another. I am so glad I waited!