THE SEEDS OF MARITAL FAITHFULNESS ARE PLANTED IN YOUTH.

Bible Reading of the Day: Read Genesis 2:8, 18-23.

Verse of the Day: “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man” (Genesis 2:23, NIV).

Graham’s thirteenth birthday had finally arrived. He and his parents went out together to a fancy restaurant, leaving his little sister at home with a baby-sitter.

Mom and Dad let Graham order any meal he wanted. When they were all done eating, Dad pulled out a small gift-wrapped box. Graham’s eyes glittered as Dad passed the box to him.

“This is the most expensive birthday gift we’ve ever gotten you,” Dad explained. “And the most meaningful.”

Graham looked curiously at his parents. He held the box, unopened, in the palm of his hand.

“Open it,” Mom said.

Graham tore off the wrapping paper to expose a felt box. He popped the box open to reveal a simple gold ring.

Graham flashed another curious look at his parents. This was certainly unex­pected. He took the ring out of the box and tried it on. It fit perfectly.

“It’s a promise ring,” Mom explained. “Dad and I want you to keep this ring as a symbol of your faithfulness to your wife.”

“Faithfulness to my wife?” Graham said, ignoring everything else that was said. “What wife? I’m not even married!”

“Not yet,” Dad said. “But you may get married someday. And when you do, I hope you’ll be able to give that ring to your wife on your wedding day and tell her that you’ve worn that ring ever since you were thirteen years old, to remind yourself every day to stay faithful to your wife—even before you knew who she was!”

“What do you mean by staying faithful to my wife?” Graham asked.

“Well,” Dad said, “it means staying sexually pure and preparing yourself to be a good husband.”

“After all, you may not know who your wife will be, but God knows,” Mom said.

Graham flattened his hand on the table and looked at the ring with new appreciation. Then he looked up. “Thanks, Mom and Dad,” he said. “This is the best birthday present ever.”

TO DO: Make “faithfulness keepsakes” for the whole family. Make bracelets out of yam for everyone to wear. Or write a pledge of your faithfulness and provide a copy for everyone to have.

TO PRAY: Pray for the children in the family and for each child’s future husband or wife, asking God to keep them pure and prepare them to be good husbands, wives, mothers, and fathers.