She Dropped Her Bricks

Sex - One small word with some really big consequences.

It may seem like sex outside of marriage is just another act, a mistake made by someone who wasn't thinking clearly at the time. However, sex outside of marriage is often the "noise" we hear when someone has "dropped the brick".

See, along life, we tend to pick up "bricks". Some of these are the result of other people's problems: aggressive or passive behaviors, tragic accidents, abuse, or something similar. Others are the result of our own causing, for example: wearing that low-cut shirt and attending the party you know the guy you like will be at, having an abrasive and negative attitude, all kinds of things! And when the bricks get too heavy - bam! We drop them. Things like unplanned pregnancies are not the result of just randomly sleeping with someone. They're the result of months or even years of brick-collecting.

This mini-sermon has brought me to this point: My cousin is pregnant. My cousin is 6 months older than me. She just graduated high school this past month like me, and her baby boy is due in August.

A part of me is tsk-tsking her. I know from the B-i-b-l-e that sex outside of marriage is w-r-o-n-g, wrong. And I know she's made a big mistake that will cost her.

But another part of me is alarmed. That could be me. Had I picked up a few more bricks, maybe a few different bricks... That could be me, posting 4D ultrasound pictures on Facebook and thanking my Aunt for hosting my baby shower, instead of posting graduation pictures and planning summer get-togethers with my friends.

The debate is constantly waged: Nature vs. Nurture. I wonder if my cousin picked up one too many bricks because of her nature (the way she is, picking up her own bricks) or because of the nurture she's received from others (the way she was raised, being handed bricks by others). And I wonder if I was placed in her position and she in mine, would we still have turned out the way we did? Or would I have been the teen mom, 25 weeks pregnant on my graduation day, and she the upcoming college freshman with a bright future?

Never take for granted what you have in life, who you are, who's surrounding you, and where your life is headed. Take a step back and look at who you are, how far you've come, and where you're going. Be grateful!