About Me.
I’m used to dealing with crises. As a social worker by trade, being
able to handle crises becomes second nature. I have seen it all – drug abuse,
overdose, incarceration, bankruptcy, child abuse, domestic violence. Coming
from a childhood involving mental illness and domestic violence, I have also
experienced many of these traumas myself.
So becoming Executive Director of a Pregnancy Center was a
no-brainer for me as my next job (even though I fought it – but more about that
in another post). I mean, Empathy is basically my middle name, right? I loved
the idea of helping women in crisis – unplanned pregnancy, STD testing,
relationship difficulties. I especially loved being able to point them to the
cross and being “Jesus with skin on” for those who needed Him. And I thought I
could understand them and relate to them. That is, until I found I was
pregnant.
Finding Out.
I had been married to love of my life for less than a year. We were
planning on having a family, and had begun planning
on our family. But it did not lessen the shock and fear I experienced when I
saw those two lines on that test.
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Yes, there are TWO lines there! |
I walked up the steps to my office at work as staff were slowly
trickling in for the morning. I had the test in one hand and my work bags in
the other. My office manager met me on the stairs and in a sing-song voice,
beckoned me a good morning. I blankly stared at her and she thought something
was wrong with me. I couldn’t open my mouth because I knew I would burst into
tears. She finally looked at my right hand and the realization hit her –
“You’re pregnant!” she exclaimed with such joy that I truly thought she was the
one who was losing it.
She hugged me and I lost control. Through my tears, I rambled off a
myriad of questions and doubts and fears. Is this really a good thing? How are
we going to afford this child? Am I ready? What do I really know about
parenting? What about all the ways my life will change? How do I handle this?
What do I do now?
The Realization
As I came to my senses, and calmed down, I was finally able to allow
myself to feel the joy. I was slowly able to come to terms with having a baby –
my baby – and allow myself to feel others’ joy for me. I began to push away the
doubts (some of them) and realize that yes, it will be ok. I have a husband who
loves me and who loves God. I have a stable house. Stable income. Supportive
family and friends.
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Taken the day I told my mother ..I had to have the test for proof! |
Why We Do What We Do
The reality of the work of your local pregnancy center is that we step
in when no one else does. When your family turns their back on you. When your
boyfriend walks out on you. When everyone from everywhere else seems to be
pressuring you to do what they want
and think they know what you want. When you have no idea what you want, and you
know you just need help. Guidance. Support. For whatever decision you make.
We have had clients who come in because of a rape situation. Or they
have come in ready for an abortion. Or unsure how to tell their families
because of the rejection they will face. They have been told that their church
won’t help them, and they can’t afford to carry the baby to term.
That is our calling. That is why we are here. To be a voice for the
voiceless and a shoulder for the broken hearted. It is because of this calling
that we have seen families choose life, over and over and over again. And in
choosing life, they too are able to renounce the fear that they once felt, as
they look with utter joy at the face of their child.
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My baby looks like a rotisserie chicken! |
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