VOICE

We were at a movie tonight and after the previews and before the actual movie, there is this bit on how we all need to be quiet during the movie.. (I.E. No babys screaming, no talking, no cell phones, etc...) And after the little skit, three words raced across the jumbo screen. "SILENCE IS GOLDEN." Normally I would agree with that. It is important to have silence sometimes... Whether it be for daily devotion with the One who created us, whether it be to just think, whether it be to just sleep.... But on this particular night, those three words went against every grain in my body. I shook furiously, right there in my seat... And I didn't understand why. Until now.

I have been dealing with some forms of temptation for a while now, and have been just kind of avoiding it recently. But I am digging my heels in. Whether or not I screw up, I won't know until I either fail, or succeed... But I am shouting at the top of my lungs, "I WILL NOT BE SILENT ANYMORE! I AM STANDING UP FOR MYSELF RIGHT NOW IN THIS VERY PLACE! I AM SICK OF BEING TEMPTED AND THE BIBLE SAYS THAT GOD WILL NOT LET US BE TEMPTED BEYOND WHAT WE ARE ABLE TO HANDLE, SO STOP TEMPTING ME, SATAN, AND STOP TRYING TO MAKE ME GO ASTRAY! I OWE IT TO GOD TO RESPECT THE BODY HE MADE FOR ME, AND I WILL PROTECT IT UNTIL THE DAY I AM MARRIED! SO CEASE YOUR ADVANCES!"

America wants us as christians to be silent. It wants to drown God out of the picture. Although it is easy to do, it is the wrong thing to do. We, as christians, need to stand up for God and need to be His disciples. We are called to a higer standard than society. We are called to His standards. Whether that be in the form or resistance to temptation, or in the form of sharing our faith with others, we should not be silent! We need to let our voices be heard among the others. We need to set strong examples of what a christian life is supposed to look like. Sure, it will not be perfect. No life ever has been except one. We will screw up. But as christians, we need to make it known to other people that our lives are different. When we screw up, we need to admit it and be able to say with confidence, "But God has forgiven me!"

I feel so strongly that I need to remain pure until the day I am married now. Looking back, Elle is definitely a gift from God... But I really want to marry the man who was man enough to wait for me... Who stuck by my side through everything OTHER than sex. I want to marry the man who respected my body, and proved to me time and time again, that he is 100% faithful to only me.

That's not too much to ask, is it?

I owe it to Elle. To myself. To my future husband. To GOD.

Silence is definitely not "golden" in this case...