Is getting married young a bad thing?

People will tell you that getting married young is a mistake. They’ll tell you it’ll keep you from accomplishing your goals, that you won’t be able to travel, that your spouse will hold you back from your career, that you aren’t old enough to make those kinds of lifelong decisions...etc. etc. etc.

I got married when I was freshly 22. Such a baby when I look back at photos of us. We didn’t have a dime to our name. We moved straight to Pittsburgh after our wedding and I didn’t know a soul. I immediately started on another college degree. I worked nights and he worked during the day. We struggled financially. We had all the typical newlywed struggles.

But you know what we didn’t do?

Fight like everyone said we would.

Get on each other’s nerves.

Lack in physical or emotional intimacy.

Prevent each other from reaching goals.

Marriage is sacred. We both went into this covenant with NO doubt that we were dedicating our lives to each other. No matter what. NO MATTER WHAT.

Those words were prayed over and they were said with certainty.

Here’s some real marriage advice from someone who still gets butterflies after almost a decade together:

1. Communicate. Don’t keep bitter feelings bottled up. Approach your spouse when you’re calm and let them know how something they said or did made you feel. Say it in a non-combative way. Speak with sincerity.

2. Assume your spouse didn’t mean to hurt your feelings unless proven otherwise.

3. Be quick to apologize, accept apologies, and move on.

4. Tell your spouse EVERYTHING. Your day, how you’re feeling, your dreams, all of it.

5. Don’t gossip about your spouse to anyone. If you need advice in a situation, seek wise counsel.

6. Do not ridicule your spouse publicly.

7. Uplift, encourage, and respect your husband. Respect gives men confidence unlike anything else.

8. Keep VERY strict boundaries with the opposite sex. I prefer not to text other men (unless it’s a specific situation and Nick is aware), I don’t friend men on social media usually, I avoid being in a room or car alone with another man, etc.

9. Pray for and with your spouse. Continuously. Daily.

10. Serve JOYFULLY.