Today was not different than any other day. I woke up 30 minutes before I had to go to my 9am class, walked up to the top of the hill just in time for the hour long financial accounting lecture, then trotted down to the bottom of campus for chapel. I can honestly say this is one of my favorite parts about my Monday, Wednesday, and Friday's because amongst my busy day, I am able to take time aside and worship the Lord who gave me the opportunity to come to this school. After worship got over, all of the students took their seats, where I was seated amongst my peers. The girl who was sitting to my left is a new teammate of mine and she has the sweetest and most sincere personality. Out of nowhere, she grabs my right hand and asks me "what is that?" as she touches the ring adorning my ring finger. Trying to be quite so I do not disturb the others around me, I lean in and whisper that it is my purity ring, with a slight tone of 'duh' in my voice. She then asks me "so you're a virgin?", and with the same tone I replied "yup!". She then gushed and told me how awesome that was. Slightly confused I returned my attention to the chapel speaker.
The rest of the chapel period the only thought running through my head was 'of course I'm a virgin! I am a Christian for goodness' sake'. Later today, as I was painting my nails in my silent room, the Lord revealed something to me. Virginity is special. God has had His Sovereign Authority and grace in my entire life where I have never had to be in a situation that would have compromised my purity. Sadly, gone are the days where virginity amongst young men and women is normal. Our entire culture feels this outside pressure that in order to be womanly or manly, cool and sophisticate, you must give up one of the only things in life that you will never be able to get back. Your sexual purity. I would be lying if I said that I didn't feel those pressures at times.
If you are reading this and you are one of the special people who still have your virginity, hold on to it so incredibly tight and run to God. When culture says its statistically impossible to stay a virgin until your wedding day, say 'get behind me satan' and flee. If you are someone who has lost or given up your virginity to someone who is not your spouse, its ok. When the world looks at you through shame filled and judgmental eyes, tell them 'get behind me satan, God has forgiven me and has made me a new creation'. From either of these perspectives, there is hope, cling to it and RUN to the arms of your Father. 2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!"
