This Kiss

Their very first kiss was on their wedding day. No, this wasn't an arranged marriage, this was a union of two people who are very much in love but decided to wait. CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?! And in this time and age?

The first time I've heard (or read) of such a thing was in the book I Kissed Dating Goodbye by Joshua Harris.

Hmm or was it in Boy Meets Girl by the same author?

Anyhoo, my initial reaction in being presented this kind of lifestyle was "This is kind of impossible for me". I have kissed all the guys I have gone out with. (Oh oh except one! Yesss!)

The author was honest in saying it did require a tremendous, gigantic, humongous, titanic amount of self-control, but my heart melted when he described the complete joy that was theirs when they finally got to kiss for the first time after reciting their marriage vows. It made me want that too for myself.

But what was more amazing for me was having an actual real, live person share about this to me. Reading a book is one thing. I know it was a non-fiction, but still, the characters seemed like utopian goody-two-shoes living in a faraway land. But the people in the photo above are real people - they are my friends. I know their quirks, and I know to some degree how vulnerable and how much human they are, and prone stumbling to temptations.

I guess that's why they made a decision not to kiss until they got married. They wanted to be pure and not go over the boundaries. They know (and I know, and I think everybody knows) that kissing does not merely stop at kissing. Well maybe for others who are stronger in that way, congratulations. But not for me, and most people I guess. Both had been in previous relationships to which they've crossed way over the boundaries, but when they realized that what they have was "it", they took great care to nurture it by subtracting what may be a false sense of intimacy and closeness kissing (and beyond) might bring. It's also amazing when she shared how God restored their individual brokenness separately, how God was preparing both of them for their fateful meeting, and how God was in the center of their relationship from the beginning until now.

She'd had a string of relationships that are far from being exemplary, and became single by choice for 3 years. One night she was just crying and telling God that she was sick of being single and alone, but if that is God's will for her she would still serve Him all her life whatever the case. The next day, she met the man she was later to marry. Awwww. =)

Sidetrack: Plus you know, they got married in the desert, and the reception party was by the beach overlooking the endless ocean. SOOOOO NICEEEEE!!!

When my friend was telling me their love story and showed me their wedding photos, I was like, WOW. This is something really special. And to quote her "We had so much joy in our hearts that day that we wanted to put them in little bottles and give them away to everybody."

She is really an inspiration to me. Both of them are. There is still hope! haha=)