For me, purity is important, and it is something my mother talked to me about early on. That being said, there is a lot of pressure to do things today that we know we shouldn't, and many teens fall into this trap. We all do things when we're younger that we regret, but that we cannot take back. Thankfully, God forgives and provides us a measure of mercy and grace that we do not deserve. And, I understand that it's possible and even likely that when I do find someone who asks me to marry him, that he will not be a virgin. But, the question I will have for him will be, why is he not a virgin? If it's because he made a mistake and fell into temptation, or because he was not a believer at the time he had sex, then I can be understanding about that. But, if it's because he doesn't feel it's important to wait, that shows a fundamental difference in the values that we hold, and I don't think I could look past that. It would lead me to a whole host of other questions about where he stands on certain issues, and I'm not sure I'd like the answers he would give.
Each situation is truly different. But it is important for me to wait until I am married. I've known people who haven't, and they deeply regret it. I don't want to have that regret.
