“Don’t you know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit? The Spirit is in you. You have received him from God. You do not belong to yourselves. Christ has paid the price for you. So use your bodies in a way that honors God.”
— 1 Corinthians 6:19 – 20 (NIrV)
Abby’s parents were fighting. Again. She slipped out of the house and ran over to see her neighbor Shannon. Shannon was eighteen and had always seemed like an older sister to Abby. Whenever things got too tough at home, Abby escaped and went there.
Shannon gave Abby some cookies and sat down with her at the kitchen table.
Abby leaned forward. “Shannon, when I see your mom and dad together, they have a good time. They act like they love each other.”
“They do,” Shannon said.
Abby looked down at the kitchen floor. “For you, it’s easy,” she said. “You’ve watched your mom and dad all your life. You can try to be like them. But what about me? What if I end up with someone who treats me just as badly as my dad treats my mom?”
“That doesn’t have to be the case.” Shannon’s green eyes were deep and serious. “I’ve learned a lot of good ideas from my mom and dad. But you can learn from them too. They aren’t perfect any more than anyone else, but try to remember what you like.”
“But —” Abby didn’t know how to say it. She tried again. “How will I know what to look for?”
Shannon thought for a moment. “Well, the most important thing is that my mom and dad are Christians. That doesn’t always mean a marriage is good, but it helps. Mom and Dad pray together, and when they disagree about something, they ask Jesus to help them know what to do. I want to marry a Christian too. Someone who feels as strongly about their faith as I do. And I want someone who respects me.”
Abby thought of another question. “How will I know if I really love someone?”
“He’ll be someone you think a lot of.” Shannon’s ideas tumbled out. “You’ll respect him and like the way he acts. You should be able to talk with him, even about hard things. You have fun together, even if it’s just taking a walk. You miss him when he’s gone, and you like doing nice things for him.”
When Abby finally left Shannon’s house, she had a lot to think about. As she crawled into bed, she prayed for her mom and dad. Then, for the first time, she prayed about whom she might someday marry.
More to Explore: 1 Corinthians 13
Girl Talk: What are some of the character qualities you want to find in the people you choose for your closest friends?
God Talk: “Jesus, help me to recognize the character qualities that are important in my special friends. If you want me to get married someday, I ask in your name, Jesus, for someone with the good qualities that are important both to you and to me. Amen.”
From Girl Talk by Lois Walfrid Johnson