Purpose-Driven Dating

For Marriage & Family, Begin with the End in Mind

As I write, graduation season has just finished. Millions of 18-year-olds nationwide are preparing themselves for the rest of their adult lives and responding to people asking questions of, “What are you going to major in?” Or, “What job do you think you’d like?” Or even, “What part of the country do you hope to live in?”

Far fewer are those who ask, “And are you planning for a family one day?”

Asking that seems nosy somehow, or inappropriate, or embarrassing—akin to one’s mother-in-law hinting as to when she might expect a grandbaby. These are private matters, to be worked out in time. Leave the poor kid alone.

But … might not a little...