What's the hurry, dear?

I do, though, tell the unmarried and widows that singleness might well be the best thing for them, as it has been for me. But if they can't manage their desires and emotions, they should by all means go ahead and get married. The difficulties of marriage are preferable by far to a sexually tortured life as a single.
1 Cor 7:8-9 (The Message)

I have issues with these 2 verses. They make me want to go back in time, grab Paul and drop him in the 21st century and yell at him: "You find me a husband, then!" Because it's not that simple. As one who regularly 'burns in lust' (and if you've followed my previous blogs you'll know bits and pieces of my history that attest to this), I'm fully aware of the tortured life of a single (sometimes I love the way The Message gets to the nub of things so succinctly!). And I'm VERY aware of how it is not that simple to rectify.

However, I've been thinking a little more on this recently. Because I'd forgotten verse 8, pointing this very firmly at singles, I'd got along a line of thinking of better to get married quickly than burn with lust waiting out an engagement. You can always tell the Christian couples who've not had sex before married. They're usually married within 6 months (sometimes less) of announcing their engagement. And the ones who are sleeping together. I know of someone who got engaged October/November last year. And they're not getting married until 2009. They are, however, moving in together this year. Much to the consternation of a few of the more pious of our congregation. Oh, I love a scandal. Particularly one that I'm not the cause of!