Reflections of a Teenage Mother | Previous Challenge Entry

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TITLE: Reflections of a Teenage Mother | Previous Challenge Entry
By Cheryl Donovan
04/26/07
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Reflections of a Teenage Mother

I sought the Lord and he answered me. He delivered me from all my fears. Psalm 34:4.

I was sixteen years old and pregnant. What was worse, I was a “PK” (preacher’s kid) for those of you not familiar with the term. And as long as I could remember it was always rumored that we, “PK’s” that is, were the worse. It had however been my mission to prove them wrong. I had excelled in school to the point that I would graduate one year early. I was respectful to my parents and to my elders. Until now, I had really been of little trouble to my parents. Now this! The problem; I truly was in love and I felt compelled (now I know by the enemy), to prove this love and as a result I had to face the consequences. How on earth would I tell my parents? How would I raise a child? How would I continue my education? The statistics were grim. Each Year almost 75,000 women in America aged 15-19 become pregnant. In Texas which is where I ‘m from we are second in teen pregnancies only to California and I was no exception. Over three-fifths of teen mothers live in poverty at the time of their child’s birth, and over four-fifths eventually live below poverty. Teen Mothers are more likely to be supported by public assistance programs and can cost taxpayers over $22,000 to support. Do you sense a pattern here? Statistics further state that there are substantial disparities in the educational attainment of teen mothers compared to young women who delay child-bearing. Children born to teen mothers often fare badly during infancy, early childhood, and their adolescent and adult lives and compared with children born to mothers who delay childbearing until age 21 or older. Children of teen mothers are more likely to grow up in homes that are not emotionally supportive or cognitively stimulating, to suffer from abuse and neglect, to repeat a grade in school, and to drop out of high school. Fast forward 24 years. My oldest son is now a college graduate and teaching computer technology n the local school district. My youngest son is nearing completion of college degree and will soon be among the work force. I am happily married to my second husband of fourteen years and I have become an author, mentor, and educator. I have never been on welfare and both of my children went to school with academic scholarships. Raising two sons was not an easy task. God placed many people in my life to help make my transition. How did I do it? I sought the Lord and he answered me. He told me in his word that I could do all things through Christ who strengthens me. He said that a good woman, a worthy woman was worth more than rubies and that is what I wanted to be. He said that he would do exceedingly and abundantly more than I could ever ask him for. He said in his word that if I made myself at home with him and made his words at home in me that I could be sure that whatever I asked would be listened to and acted upon. God became my ultimate source. He did not give me a spirit of fear but of love and a sound mind. I became like Paul it mattered very little to me what others thought of me or my situation because only God could judge and as a result I can stand firmly and testify to the fact that God is faithful and that he will honor His word.

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