When You Start Noticing Boys

…to a virgin betrothed to a man…

Luke 1:26-27

My dear Ruby,  

You are very young right now – you’ll be five in January! – and so today’s verse is a little out of your range, but that’s okay, there will come a time when you will understand this letter.  There will come a time when your body will change and you will start to notice boys.  That’s right…boys.

This is natural and this is good and it is called puberty. (Which is a huge game-changer!)

I remember when I first started noticing girls. 

Oh I had noticed them before and knew that they were different in some ways to we boys.  But basically girls were like a different species who were mostly more fragile, emotional, and talked a lot and who wanted to butt in and take over. 

They were “sugar and spice and all that’s nice” and we boys were made of “frogs and snails and puppy dog tails” and we were proud of it!   

But then one day – almost overnight – that changed.  I started noticing girls, I mean really noticing them.  Suddenly they mattered. 

Their differences became appealing to me (and more obvious). 

And long story short, that’s how I meet your Nana and married her and then your mother came along and eventually you arrived!

And that’s how life is meant to be.

But to get there I want you to notice three important words: Virgin, Betrothed, and Man. 

Understanding them will help you a lot when you start noticing boys.

The word “virgin” has to do with how you view yourself.  What it means is that God created you for a special person – and the two of you together for a special purpose.  All the feelings and sensations that your body has as it begins to notice boys has to do with helping you find that person.  And until you do, you save yourself sexually; you save yourself for him. 

Just like Mary, the mother of Jesus, you are betrothed (intended).  The only difference is you don’t know just yet who you’re intended for.  Until you do focus on the search, not the feelings.  Save yourself for your intended and ignore the world’s constant pressure to compromise.  In the end you will not regret it. 

Prayer: Father God, please give Ruby and all my grandchildren, the courage to live pure lives.  Help them to honor the wonderful and beautiful body that you have given them and to save it as a special gift to the intended one you have created for them to share it with. 

And please help them in the search.  Please help them to find your intended one for them.  And whoever that person is, please prepare them so that when their search is over they can begin a lifelong journey of serving you and honoring you. 

And above, help them to present their bodies as a living sacrifice to YOU.

For the glory of Christ who saved himself for us that we might be saved forever for Him.  Amen.

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

Priscilla Du Preez is from Northern Alberta and is northwest of North Dakota where I lived for several years. Her picture reminded me of many pleasant memories of driving through very similar landscapes with my sweetheart: Sonja.