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A 16-year-old young lady was asked to go on a date by two different boys - the football quarterback, Zeek, who was three years older than she was, and a boy her age, Mike, who was the preacher's son where she went to church. Mike was not as good-looking and exciting as Zeek, but he was known to be polite, scholarly, responsible, and a hard worker. Since it would be her first date, her mother was greatly concerned about her daughter's welfare, especially if she dated the older guy, so she prayed for wisdom in counseling her.
Having worked on a dairy farm when she was a teenager, she knew something about the business, which helped her to make an analogy that she hoped would accomplish what she needed to accomplish. Her daughter had not yet decided with which boy she would go on her first date, so she confidently sat down with her daughter and told the following story:
"A man decides he is going to go into the cattle business. He has no idea what he is doing, so he consults a friend who has some experience in this area. His friend suggests that he buy milk cows, get them producing milk, and sell them at a handsome profit. He is informed of the market for unpasteurized raw milk, and it sounded like a great idea, so he decided that is what he would do."
"The dairyman advertises in the local paper that anyone can come to his barn, milk a cow themselves, and take home the milk for free. (His reasoning was that once they get hooked on the milk, they will buy the cow no matter the cost.) He even explains that at some point if the potential buyer wants to change to a different cow, it would be acceptable. He made no stipulation as to when the free milk would end, or when they would be required to purchase the cow."
"The advertisement brought in several potential buyers who were happy to be allowed to milk the cows and take home the free milk. But after a few months without having made a single sale, the dairyman asked one of them why he had not yet purchased a cow. His reply was, 'Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free.' It was at this point that it dawned on the dairyman that his plan was not going to work."
The mother concluded by saying, "I'm not going to tell you that you cannot go on this date, nor am I going to choose with which guy you go out - it is for you to decide. But, before you decide whom you want to date consider each of the guy's characters and probable intentions. Dating is not just to have fun. It can be dangerous. Dating is mostly to help find a mate (I'm talking about marriage) that will respect and love you for the rest of your lives."
After a moment of silence, the daughter said to her mother, "You know, I think, if it is okay with you, I'll tell Mike that I would love to go on a date with him. I'm thinking that Zeek is the kind of guy that would only be after free milk and would never buy the cow."
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