"Don't drop this," I warned him as his siblings looked on with rapture, "I don't think your brothers would forgive you." The little boys walked together slowly and carefully with the cake into their house.
Having just loaded up the larder for her family, I asked G if I could take her to lunch. She readily agreed. As we drove, I asked where she would like to go.
"I don't know," she told me, "I never go out to eat."
"What do you feel like eating?" I asked.
"Garlic!" she said. Ah! Those strange pregnancy cravings!
We ended up at Fuel Pizza where we ordered garlic twist rolls and extra garlic for the pizza.
As we sat at lunch, she told me about her hopes and dreams, and what the perfect situation would have been to bring a baby into the world. She knew she had made mistakes, but from here on out, she wanted very much to do it right! We talked about how God's plan for marriage before having children, in the context of a committed family was a good one. I asked her if she felt God made commands about chastity because He was a kill-joy.
"No," she told me, after thinking a moment, "I never knew my father. I never had what other kids had because we couldn't afford them. That's not what I want for my child." I agreed and told her God made all His commandments to protect and bless us. I pointed out that since choosing life for the baby rather than abortion, look at the number of people who had come alongside her to help her. God blesses our walk in righteousness and faith.
I asked what had changed her mind about aborting her child. She told me that when she had seen the sign of an aborted baby as she approached the abortion mill, she had felt the first stab of guilt over what she had planned to do. She still would have aborted, but she realized at that moment that it was clearly wrong. Then when she saw her baby on the ultrasound, and the counselors patted her on the back and promised her they would stand with her and help her, she knew she wanted to let her baby live. She wanted very much from this moment forward to strive to achieve that perfect picture of a committed family as closely as she could and to make choices that would build the best life for her baby and herself. As she talked, she sprinkled extra garlic on her pizza.
"I would do anything I could not to have another baby till I am married and ready," she said.
"I know how you can do that," I told her, smiling, "Don't have sex until you are married." That led to an in-depth purity discussion, and how that was all part of God's plan of protection, both for her heart and for her baby. She was remarkably receptive, looking straight at me with an intent expression.
"That's what I want," she said. Sadly, it is not the world she is growing up in, and I wondered if anyone had ever spoken such things to her before.
When I had first met her, she had been shy and frightened. She had said almost nothing, and didn't dare venture an opinion. She had seemed devoid of emotion. I could hardly believe it as she talked for two hours with me now, laughing, and hopeful, and filled with dreams of what her future could be. She had two very viable professions she wanted to pursue, and a good plan to pursue them. We talked about what her next steps should be in pursuing those dreams. And then she told me, "I don't really have friends. But now, I feel like I do. I feel like you are my friend." ( and this was AFTER the purity sermon! Praise God! ) She smiled at me, sprinkling more garlic on her pizza.
Happy Birthday.
When I got home, there was a handmade duct tape rose with beautifully formed petals and green duct tape stem lying across my laptop. It was my birthday gift from my daughter. I munched on rich dark chocolate my husband had given me while reading messages from both my sons. I had hoped to go kayaking on my birthday, but it was too late now, and thunder was rumbling nearby. It was ok. Even without kayaking, I felt like I had been in the presence of the Lord all day.
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Wonderful day,Vicky. You are such a blessing.
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