Dating in high school
27 August 2010
This weekend is my church’s Summer’s End camping trip. We used to call it the Canoe Retreat, and it used to be just for the youth group, but apparently while Ben and I were living in Florida, the trip grew.
13 years ago, Ben and I were freshman on the Canoe Retreat. It was the first event I’d attended in a while, and I wouldn’t have even been there except my dad had become a youth coach and talked me into it. The friend I’d invited along had to bail last minute, so I was Not Happy about climbing in that minivan and setting off for the Huzzah Valley.
My mood improved considerably during the Saturday night bon fire, when Ben took the seat next to me.
I don’t think dating in high school is for everybody, nor do I feel church should be viewed as a dating service. But I know God intended for me to meet Ben that weekend. And I know there was no way we could have been just friends.
Is it ideal to meet your future spouse so early in life?
There are certainly advantages. Yet at the same time, I really hurt Ben with my stupidity back then. I would have liked to have met him after I had a few life things figured out. Of course I’ve hurt him with my stupidity since getting married, and I’ll probably do it again. (Sorry, honey.)
I get e-mails from girls in high school asking if it’s normal for them to have never had a boyfriend. Yes, it is. I’ve also been asked in interviews if I think it’s possible to really, truly be in love in high school. Yes, I do.
As far as age goes, I don’t feel there’s a “right” time to start dating or a “right” time to fall in love. I don’t know why God ordained for Ben and me to meet at such a young age, but I’m thankful our parents let us pursue each other. I can’t imagine what blessings we might have missed out on had we rejected God’s plan.
Hope everyone enjoys the last weekend of August. I plan on relaxing with my family and giving thanks for the way things worked out.
Comments
I think it’s sweet that you and Ben met in high school. I met my husband the first week I went to college. (A fact that makes Peter nervous since today marks the end of Heather’s first week of college.)
Posted by erica vetsch on 27 August 2010
Lol, Erica. Did Heather come across any contenders?
How funny, Roseanna. You’re right – I never hear people use that saying when things happen sooner than expected.
Posted by Stephanie Morrill on 27 August 2010
I totally agree (big surprise, right?). As another one who met her future-husband in high school, I tend to growl when people go on a Don’t Date in Highschool diatribe. At the same time, I’m the first to grant it doesn’t work out for the majority like it did for me.
This falls into the “God’s timing is not our timing” thing. Sometimes that means things happening later than we expect, which is when the saying usually comes up—but sometimes it means things happening sooner than one might think.
Posted by Roseanna White on 27 August 2010