Let's face it, being twenty-one and engaged I get a lot of questions like the one mentioned above. How will you make money? Aren't you in school? Don't you want to have fun before you settle down? Don't you want to travel? Why not just wait until Tyler is done with dental school? You get the picture.
Getting engaged at an early age I knew right away that I would face these questions; I just did not know how I would handle them. When I began writing this post, I began to list questions and answer them one by one, in a way trying to "justify" our marriage decision. "Well, I will have a degree by then", "We are okay with living without for a while", and similar statements filled the post-to-be. NO. I wanted to throw up reading back over it. Since when did marriage become about money? Since when did marriage become about maturity? Since when did marriage become this thing that WE chose when to begin, and when to end, for that matter?

While, I am not saying EVERYONE should get married at twenty and that if you are not married by twenty-two then you are doing it wrong, I am saying the reasoning behind people's questioning of me is the part that's a little skewed. We will never be ready for marriage. We can prepare all we want but we can never fully prepare ourselves to be one flesh with another human. We can never fully prepare to be an "we" and not an I, daily, forever. Waiting for your career to be just right? Well, there will always be another promotion. Waiting for your financials to be just right? Well, when exactly is that- there is always "more" money to be had. Waiting to be completely content in singleness? It's not going to happen. Waiting until you and your significant other stop arguing about which restaurant at which you are going to eat? Probably not going to happen, either.

It is not because marriage is the magic fixing potion that will heal our desire for more and our desire for all of our ducks to be in perfectly lined rows before making any sort of commitment. Marriage is the union of two people in two one- not just our happy moments or our Instagrams, but our entire lives. I mean, I've never been married but I have heard it's hard work. All the junk surrounding marriage just comes from who we are. We are sinners who fall short of the glory of God daily. We will never be completely content until we are in the presence of Jesus. There is not true contentment this side of Heaven. Life isn't easy- marriage isn't easy, but it can be a lot more fun with the one you love by your side and I am READY for that!

I totally see the world's point in saying that Tyler and I have limited finials, lack maturity, and may be a little naive on the ways of the word- all of those things are valid. Not reasons for us not to get married, but completely valid. The one that really gets to me is this whole "settling down" business. Why is marriage referred to as settling down?! Marriage is the ultimate adventure. We will still get to do all of the fun things we can do now, but what is even better is that we get to do them together!! Trips to new places, white water rafting, spontaneous weekends away, nights out, races, kayaking, doing LIFE together....these are just some of the adventures I see in our near future. Truthfully, I do not think we will ever "settle down".

So, you be asking..then why?? I've given you a laundry list of things that do not refute this desire, but no reasons why. It's simple. I love Tyler. I know Tyler and I can further the kingdom better together than apart. I know Tyler and I can love Jesus and others with our whole lives better together. There is no one else I want by my side in life and ministry than my sweet, loving, caring, crazy, determined, hard-working, Tyler. I could fill books with all by reasons why I said "YES!" but I cannot find one reason why I should have said "Yes...when" or "eventually". Ya know? It's just right.

I wrote on my post for Two Belles that I never expected to be twenty(one) and engaged, and that is SO true. It was not in Taylor's plan for this to happen, but it is and I know God's plans are always gloriously more life-giving than mine. Oh, and to answer the question, no we are not ready for marriage. But ready or not....March 7th we're coming for ya!

I am not trying to change anyone's mind with this. I really have not said anything profound. I am just rambling ,as usual, with a little bit of what I've been going through.