She approached the window hesitantly, looking behind her to see if anyone was listening. “May I help you?” the receptionist asked quietly. She leaned into the window and whispered, “I think I need a pregnancy test.” A few minutes later she sat across from a counselor and tearfully shared her story. She is a Christian. She is married. She believes abortion is wrong. The counselor struggled to understand the words that were muffled by tears…”b-but if I’m pregnant, I h-have to have an abortion.”

Using an effective communication skill of rephrasing, the counselor repeated what she believed the young woman had just said, “Even though you believe abortion is wrong, you think that you would have one if you are pregnant.” The client grimaced as though the words brought pain to her, but nodded her head affirmatively. The counselor asked the next question, “How does your husband feel about it?” A fresh wave of tears began and after several minutes, still looking down at her lap, the client whispered, “It may not be his baby…that’s the problem.”

In halting sentences, peppered with frequent breakdowns, the whole story came out. The marriage appeared to be over. She was lonely. She met someone – and even knowing it was wrong, she gave in to temptation one time. A few weeks later her husband called and asked if they could see a Christian marriage counselor. God was healing her marriage, which was her heart’s desire, but now she feared that she might be pregnant by someone other than her husband. She was heartbroken by the sin she had committed against God, by the sin she had committed against her husband, and by the sin she was about to commit by having an abortion.

I John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” That was the verse the counselor shared with this frightened young woman during that first visit. The pregnancy test was positive, but she left with her sin confessed and forgiven by God, a resolve to confess to her husband and ask for his help and forgiveness, and a resolve to carry the baby to term. The hard decision about who would raise the child would come later.

Our God IS faithful and just. The months went by and they continued to see a marriage counselor. God restored the love they had for each other, and together they decided that after the baby’s birth they would do DNA testing. If the baby were a result of the affair, they would place it for adoption in a loving Christian family. Difficult decision? Yes, but they both realized that sin carries consequences and sometimes we have to face them and deal with them for a very long time. Their decision to choose life was the right thing to do.

We stayed in touch with them throughout the pregnancy and were elated when the DNA testing proved that the baby belonged to her husband! This little family has experienced the grace of God and is very grateful to Hope Pregnancy Centers for helping them find their way through a very difficult time in their lives. They are thankful for the good and perfect gift of the child that God gave them through a true crisis pregnancy. Nothing is too difficult for God!

Nancy McDonald

Hope Pregnancy Centers

Broward County, Florida

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