Young Marriage

Today, I saw a blog post shared to Facebook about young marriage and how the author is for young marriage.  The author gives three reasons as to why he agrees with young marriage.  While the three points he makes are very poignant, the introduction to the piece is what caught my attention. 

He said, 

"People don’t get married anymore. If they do, then it is much later in life. In fact the age of marriage is continually going up in our culture to where it is pushing thirty. Not only has this been the trend in the culture, but I have seen this trend begin to take place in the church as well. It is my personal belief and conviction that this is absolutely detrimental to human flourishing and a cataclysmic disaster for the church.

Early marriage has become taboo in our culture. Getting married at a young age of 20 or 21 will get you some strange comments from others, including other Christians (Trust me, I’ve experienced them). However, I think we need a revival of early marriage among Christians. I think there are several reasons younger Christians need to begin adopting this counter cultural practice by marrying early."

Wow.  

Mike and I got engaged when we were 21.  We began dating when I was just barely 20.  In high school I knew I was going to marry Mike Cable, I just didn't know what God had in plan for our timing.  When we started dating in 2011,  I knew we were going to get married.  The day we started talking about possibly dating Mike said to me, "Meg, I need you to know that when I date someone, I potentially see myself marrying her."  

We weren't even dating yet.

A year later we were engaged.

A year and a half later we were married.

And now it's a month later.

Numerous people told me that we were "too young".  What exactly is "too young"?  Because we still watch the Disney Channel and eat too much candy and laugh at stupid jokes?  My mom, who got married at 21, watches Pretty Little Liars (PLL).  Last time I checked PLL is directed toward high school/college aged females (no offense momma, I love you!).  So is my mom too young because she enjoys PLL, shopping, and the occasional young, girly conversations that she and I share?

Before Mike and I got engaged my daddy and I had a trip to Louisville and on the way home we talked about marriage.  There is no man on this earth that I respect more than my daddy and his opinion.  He told me that he and mom did get married young BUT my mom was the most mature woman that he knew.  When he talked about her at the age in which they got married I could see how, in his mind, he went back to the time in which they got married.  Mom, 21, and daddy, 24.  They got married the summer she graduated from WKU and they moved to Nashville for mom to go to Law School at Vandy.  Momma was young, yes, but mature far beyond her years.  But not only that, they were so in love.  And still are.  

Growing up, our parents are our first role models, and continue to be our role models our entire lives.  They set the example for us - good or bad.  I must say, I am so so thankful for the example my parents have set for me. They were married young and in love, and here they are, 2014, in love.  (You're still young to me!)  Even with salt and pepper hair!  They showed me growing up that even when something in life goes awry, you work together as a unit, a unit of 3:  

Husband, Wife, and God.  

So, when people would say to me, "but you two are so young to be getting married," how am I to know any different?  My parents and Mike's parents married young.  That is the example that was set before us, and our parents are still so in love.  We have those examples for us, why would we want to be any different?  As Christians we should be celebrating marriage, no matter the age.  We should be praying for the marriages of our friends and family - regardless of the ages that they are.

To those of you who are a part of our lives, pray for our marriage, pray for our friends marriages, pray for our families marriages.  Pray for your friends marriages, pray for your families marriages, pray for your current or future marriage.  Pray for God to be the center.  God created love.  We love because He first loved us.  

I am the happiest I've ever been.  I am young and in love and I hope to be an example to my children one day of "young marriage".  I hope to show them love, just as my parents did.  

I am young.  I am married.  I am young and in love.

Thank you, God, for creating this beautiful love.

meg