My family will forever remember the summer of 2012 as the summer of history.
My daughter’s love of all things historical took a turn toward genealogy a couple years ago, leading her to dig up background info on her grandmother who grew up in an orphanage. Her search culminated in an amazing extended family trip to a huge cemetery in Illinois to see the grave sites of her grandmother’s mother and grandparents.
Later that same summer we hosted a family reunion for my dad’s Hammitt cousins who hadn’t gathered under one roof in ten years. The next month, we coordinated one for my father-in-law’s family where we celebrated the heritage of three Habegger sisters who married three Steury brothers. Then a couple weeks later, we welcomed our first grandchild—a bouncing seven pound baby boy.
It was a once-in-a-lifetime summer, strolling down memory lane and adding cherished moments to the tapestry of our lives.
Each of us has a history made up of the people, the places, the events and circumstances of our
lives. It’s true that our past points us in a general direction, but it doesn’t have to direct each step of our future.
That’s especially true when it comes to decisions about sex.
Please, oh, please, don’t let your past make your future decisions.
Maybe you haven’t crossed the virginity line yet, but your toes are hanging dangerously over the cliff. In the back recesses of your mind—maybe even the front lobes—you know it will happen and probably sooner rather than later. “It’s too late to stop it now…” you may think. But it’s not. Backing up the physical part of your relationship will be tough—I won’t kid you, but it’s not impossible.
Maybe losing your virginity was a one-time slip that you later regretted. Or maybe the first time turned into an endless merry-go-round you’d give anything to get off of. “What difference does it make now?” you may ask. Once or a thousand times—it doesn’t matter how often you messed up. It’s never too late to choose a different direction—to put your foot down and get off that spinning ride. It might be the hardest thing you’ll ever commit to, but it will be worth it. I promise.
Whether you’re hovering at the line or you crossed it a long time ago, you can choose to save all future sexual experiences for marriage. It’s called renewed abstinence, and lots of guys and girls alike are taking this brave step. With guts and determination they’re moving forward in a better, safer direction.
Backing up the physical involvement in your relationships won’t be easy. I can guarantee you’ll be tempted to throw in the towel—maybe within the first twenty-four hours. That special someone may threaten to walk. Friends might sneer or question your sanity. You might even argue with yourself. But don’t let anyone—not even yourself—talk you out of choosing to back away from sex.
Your history has yet to be written. Make the next chapter in your life be about guarding your body, your heart, and your future.
Come back next week for: “The Reality of an Abstinence Commitment”.
Check out Matthew West’s song History @ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYZnBHJqvCY
Beth Steury, Author 