My butt hurt. I was sitting on the most uncomfortable bleacher that bleachers have to offer, listening to a guy I didn’t know talk to 1,200 high schoolers about…sex. For a nerdy high school sophomore, this was adolescent awkward at its best. The presenter spoke all about dating, marriage, “true love”, etc. which I tended to tune out at 2:00pm on a Tuesday afternoon. Of all the seemingly annoying explanations, one point did strike a chord with me – “my future spouse”.

I had never thought about my future spouse. That afternoon I began thinking, “What will she look like? How will I meet her? What will make her laugh? What will I like about her?” These were all strange thoughts for me at that moment in time. The presenter continued, telling us all that our future spouses were worth praying, waiting, searching, and sacrificing for. As a 16 year old who could care less what this guy had to say, that random Tuesday, I agreed.

Abstract Ideas

You may have heard the “future spouse” idea before, or maybe this is your first time hearing this. Regardless, it’s a good thing to think about. Saying “yes” to your future spouse now can make it easier to say “no” to temptations, trials, and tribulations as they arise. The concept, however, tends be fairly abstract. Just think for a moment…out there, somewhere, somehow, someway I am going to marry a specific someone that will bring me joy and happiness here and will ultimately guide me to heaven.

It’s worth it

A little over a month ago I asked this “future spouse” that I abstractly thought about my sophomore year of high school to marry me (woah). She actually said “yes” (double woah). All of the prayers, sacrifices, searching, and waiting that I committed to since that Tuesday in high school has become one of best decisions of my life. Especially now that this flesh and blood, holy knockout of a woman named Emily literally IS my future wife.

Maybe this is too simple, or too obvious, but I can at least write from my recent experience and say that my future wife was, and continues to be worth saying “yes” to. Saying “yes” to her 12 years ago has made saying “yes” to her now an incredible reality. For those of you on or even considering the lifelong journey of chastity; the blood, sweat, and tears are worth it, and I believe they will continue to be worth it for the rest of my life. Love is worth choosing in the great fights of our lives. It’s the fight that makes it great. It’s the fight that makes it heroic. Ladies and gents, be in it for the long haul. Your spouse is worth this fight, and this fight will transform your life.

Sincerely,

Emily’s Future Husband (Pete Burds)

______________________________

Ever since his re-version to Catholicism through a high school youth ministry program, Pete has used his five loaves & two fish for the sake of building the Kingdom. Through storytelling, retreats, and writing he has proclaimed ​Christ’s freedom to thousands. He’s the Campus Minister at Saint Thomas More High School in Milwaukee and the Director of Evangelization for Arise Missions (arisemissions.org). Pete is a ​wanna-be philosopher, has a mild obsession with the band Switchfoot, and because of Christ, finds himself living a life greater than his dreams.