Story

Relate the following situation:

Tim was seventeen and Kathy was fifteen when they became married. Their life together became very serious when their baby was born with a heart defect. Tim had to work two jobs, and Kathy spent many anxious hours at the hospital during two different operations on their baby. Both were relieved when the doctor found that the operation would give their child a normal life. But he would require extra care for at least a year.

Kathy watched her friends going to school as she hung clothes on the line. All Tim could see were hospital and medical bills. The future for him didn’t include basketball or other activities, at least not the near future.

Explain that Tim and Kathy chose to marry before they were prepared spiritually, emotionally, and practically. It takes a certain amount of experience before we know who we are and who would be best for us. That is why teenage marriages frequently fail.

Point out that Tim and Kathy were aware of the obvious things they were missing because of their early marriage. But they had only a vague idea of some of the other things they might not have a chance for or would only be able to do later in life under different, and possibly more difficult, circumstances.