Teenage Pregnancy

A teenage girl sits alone, praying the man she loves won't be angry, won't leave her, when he finds out the burden and the blessing she carries - when she reveals to him that she's pregnant. The baby is not his. She fears he will, as most men would, take back the promises he's made and leave her to deal with her situation on her own.

He considers leaving at first. Instead he stays.

The two journey forward together, despite the reactions of family, friends, and neighbors. Their love for each other, for God, and for the child she carries prevails.

I wasn't a teenager when I was pregnant with Alex, who turns 17 today. I was eight days away from being 24, in fact. My first day home alone with him, however, I felt like I was too young and handed too huge of a responsibility.

We brought Alex "home" to my parents' house on Christmas Eve, so that we could introduce him to family and join in the festivities. We brought him home to our house on Christmas Day. What a wonderful gift - my firstborn son! It was a long nine months, worrying that I'd lose him as I had two before him. Praying for his safe entry into the world. Preparing for his birth and for Christmas at the same time.

It must have been a long nine months for the pregnant teen and her partner, and in that time, so much to do. There was a baby for whom to prepare, a pilgrimage to make, their own hearts to prepare to receive this blessed child. 

How do you prepare to give birth to God? To parent God? How should we, now, prepare for the same birth?

Mary sees an angel and is scared. The angel says "Do not be afraid!" Then the angel says "You will have a baby and he will be the Son of God and you will name him Jesus (or did the other angel say that to Joseph?). Mary asks "How could this be?" The angel tells her that the Holy Spirit will make her pregnant. Mary says that she'll be God's servant and do what God wants. Then the angel leaves.
Luke 1:26-38 according to seven year old Alia

Could you have said yes? Could you have made room in your life for this huge responsibility?

Can you, now, make room in your life, in your heart, in your mind, to carry Jesus within you?  To birth His love, kindness, and generosity this Christmas? Always? 


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I promised myself that this year I wouldn't write an embarrassing post about the birthday boy, as he is now a year away from adulthood. I, however, didn't promise myself I wouldn't embed links to other potentially embarrassing birthday posts in this one, so it's not my fault if you click the links in the paragraph referencing Alex, right?