Purity -- Part One

Purity. I have been thinking about this topic for quite some time now, and I haven't really been able to think of a way to communicate it, but I will do my best and pray that it is communicated well.
Their are many different definitions for the word purity. I like the definition of cleanness, spotless, and freedom. What do I actually mean by purity though? Well, let me share a story that, hopefully, will clear things up a bit.
How does that introduction go...ah..yes...Once upon a time, there lived a young girl who loved both of her parents very much, and her parents loved her, so much so that they decided that the mother of the young girl would take her on a weekend called, Passport to Purity. When the young girl heard this wonderful news she was overjoyed! So, she waited and waited for the weekend with her mother, until one day it was finally time. She packed and said her adieus (farewells) to her father and brother, and headed out the door with her Mother. She thought she and her mother were going to stay at a hotel, but she was very much mistaken. A few hours later, after the sun had set, she and her mother were pulling into a magnificent Bed and Breakfast called Roses and the River. The young girl was absolutely stunned by the grandeur of it all, but she had only seen the beginning. As soon as they walked in the door they were welcomed by the owner of the Bed and Breakfast. After their salutations, the owner led the Mother and Daughter to their room which was called Rainbows End. Astonishing, marvelous, divine, and all the words in the world could not describe the beauty in that one room. Their were roses everywhere, and it was quite feminine. The young girl was speechless. Compared to a hotel this place was like a castle. It was getting late so the Mother and Daughter decided to snuggle up in the cozy bed that was beckoning to them. The next morning they began their study of purity. It all seemed a bit odd to the young girl. They were talking about saving your affections and your first kiss for the man God has prepared for you, if God has called you to be a wife. They were talking about choosing your friends wisely, and not running with the worlds ways. Going against temptation, and the world. And yet, among all the oddness the girl felt a peacefulness, that what she was learning pleased God, and so she listened intently. The more the girl heard the more she began to realize that she needed to make a commitment to God and her parents that she was going to be pure for, God willing, the man God was preparing for her life. So, at the end of the weekend with her mother, after making a commitment to purity, she was given a ring that would signify her commitment to all that saw it. She wears this ring on the finger that will, God willing, someday possess a wedding ring. And so, the young girl went home to her father and brother and to this day is still wearing that ring on that finger. So, you see my friends, she has not yet lived happily ever after, but she knows that she will follow Gods "happily ever after" for her life.
Now, you might have already guessed, but that young girl was me, and that father, mother, and brother are my father, mother and brother. I am and will always be eternally grateful for that weekend. You might be wondering why on earth did I make a commitment such as that? And, what commitment did I really make? Well, let me answer the latter first. I made a commitment to save my love for the man, God willing, that God has prepared for me, including my first kiss. Yes, I will save my first kiss for the day I will stand at the alter and say "I Do" to the man God has called me to be with. Why did I make the commitment of purity? That is an excellent question. When I am married, I don't want to be married to a man that has shared his love with other women. I want to be married to a man that has waited to share his love with me! So, if I want a man who has waited for the woman God has prepared for him, shouldn't I wait to share my love with the man God is preparing for me.
Early in the post, I mentioned the word purity as a way of freedom. What do I mean by saying a commitment can be a freedom? You will have to wait for the next post. To explain all of this would take a very long post, so I am going to put it in different parts. I would very much enjoy answering any questions, comments, or concerns that you may have! :) Stay tuned for part two on Purity.
By the way, this is a picture of my purity ring! Let me leave you with a verse about purity. 1Timothy 4:12 Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers, in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.