In last week’s blog, I mentioned the grand parenting factor of marrying younger. Our culture has shifted and now tends to look down on younger married persons, but does chronological age (youthfulness) automatically mean immaturity? Maturity does not come with age, but rather life experiences that are successfully worked and walked through. Young married persons can face those life experiences together.

My wife and I were married in our very early 20’s. Here are ten reasons that we have come to celebrate that decision.

1. We carried less baggage into the marriage from multiple partners, breakups and disastrous relationships.
2. We grew up faster, taking on the many responsibilities of married life early.
3. We were young and had tons of fun before children entered the picture.
4. We didn’t have deeply established routines and independent lives so it was easier to develop our culture in becoming one.
5. It was easier to make personal change and become what would honor and serve our spouse. In other words, compromise and sacrifice were an early part of becoming adults.
6. We had few extra resources so we learned to budget early and make do.
7. We went from a small apartment to missionary service (an even smaller apartment) to our first home. The progression and sacrifice were shared and the accomplishments were milestones along the way.
8. We love our memories of “young love.” But since then, romance has grown and we know each other, having grown older together with over four shared decades…”old love.”
9. We weren’t partying and being careless, but we were helping one another reach our life goals. We navigated graduate school together.
10. We are with the one person who has stuck by our side through the most difficult and the most enjoyable years of life. We raised our children together and now fully enjoy our grandchildren.

No disappointment here when the scripture says, “May you rejoice in the wife of your youth…” (Proverbs 5:18)