My husband and I started dating when we were 16-years-old. We were just two kids going into their junior year of high school, who didn’t really know anything about love or relationships. I remember pouring over blogs and books for teen girls, hoping to find some sort of encouragement for a young dating couple—but I found not one thing. Most said, “Don’t bother dating in high school, it won’t work out.”
However, we knew that God had something special for our future. We were best friends first, and boyfriend and girlfriend second. God was our main priority, and we simply wanted to follow his plan.
Setting an example despite others’ opinions.
However, not many people took us seriously, since most high school relationships do fade away. In spite of the skepticism, we strived to remain good examples—in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity. We did our best to keep God at the center of our relationship, and we trusted Him with the rest.
For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe. Command and teach these things. Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. -1 Timothy 4:10-12
We did, indeed, turn out to be so much more than high school lovebirds. One month after graduating high school, we got engaged, and set our wedding date for a year later. And though we expected the skepticism to fade over time, it remained full-force. Many people questioned our decision then, and many still do.
We’re both young, working, and in school—arm-in-arm, working toward our goals. It’s not easy; in fact, it’s harder, and more stressful than we ever would have imagined. But God has been so faithful along the way. I can’t wait to look back 10, 20, 30, years from now, and see all we’ve fought through together. We’ve been through a lot already, and have many more hurdles to cross, but I can’t wait to cross them together.
Through all of this, we’ve learned that you don’t have to be a certain age to follow God’s plan. As long as you always place Him first, and trust Him along the way, it doesn’t really matter what others think.
Place your hope in Him, respect each other, and make it your ultimate goal to reveal Christ through your marriage—no matter how old you are!
