13 Years

It was around July 2000, during the end of my Sophomore year of college, when I found out that I was pregnant.  I had only been dating my boyfriend of the time for three months.  I was devastated.  Every negative emotion flooded through me: disbelief, anger, fear, sadness and disappointment.  I cried for most of the day on the day I found out.  I could not believe that Lyrica, the missionary girl who traveled to Africa and ministered to widows and orphans just a couple years prior, had become pregnant.  My life as I knew it would never be the same. 

I had a choice to make.  I remember thinking about abortion.  I thought that I could possibly just do what other young women my age were doing and end the pregnancy.  I could have just continued to live the life that I was living.  The thought of ending the life of my baby was too unbearable.  Every time that the possibility crossed my mind, I cried and I felt a quiet, whispering voice say to me: "She could be the President some day.... She could change this world." 

I knew that once I told my parents, that abortion would no longer be an option, as they have always been against it.  However, having to tell them was one of the worst moments of my life.  I was visiting them over the weekend and I sat on the end of their bed one night and cried as I told them that I was pregnant.  They cried with me- out of sheer disappointment- and I knew it.  I knew that they thought I was no longer the girl they thought I was.   However, I also knew that they were going to continue to love me and help me with whatever they could in raising my baby.

It was in that moment that I knew that I was going to continue to work extremely hard to accomplish my goals, despite the odds.  I also knew that I loved my baby and I was so thankful to have my parents' support.  However, I decided that if they could not help me, or if they ever decided not to help me, I was still going to do my best to raise my baby and provide a wonderful life for her.  I would just have to seek out every available resource in order to do so.

After my baby girl was born, I named her Harmony because I knew that she would bring Harmony to my life.  Despite my sin, God blessed me with this amazing miracle.  I didn't deserve to be given this gift, but God still gave her to me. 

At the moment I'm writing this, my little baby is about to turn 13 years old.  My life has been changed by this amazing girl and she has made a positive impact on many others' lives as well. 

I'm writing this to anyone out there that has this tough choice to make.  If you ever are in this position and need a listening ear, I'm here for you.  I've been there.  I know the pain.  I also know what to do to succeed, despite the odds.  God tells us that he knows us before we are even born.  I'm so thankful that he knew Harmony the second she was conceived. 

In fact, the voice that whispered to me over 13 years ago that she would change the world some day was right.