STEP IT OUT!!

By Willow Sanders
     Director of Student Services

I can't pinpoint why this story (click to read) hits home so hard but I'm definitely on the verge of tears.

Maybe it's because I can imagine full well the pain & courage it took for her to 'come out' about her pregnancy afraid of the way she'd be received. Maybe it's because there are days I sit on the receiving end of that conversation with sweet, Christian kids who are afraid of how they'll be received. Or maybe, more organically, it’s because I can’t believe so many years after the sexual revolution we’re here, so often, as a church, horribly dealing with this issue.

Yet, if I sit for a moment, I KNOW it is because I was received so well when it was me.

We can all point to moments in our Christian walk when we missed the mark in our response to sin. Some grander than others. Could be the smaller moments seemed more inconsequential than the larger missteps, but make no mistake, they all led to something.

Honestly, I can always remember the moment like it was yesterday. I don’t know why that is but it just is, and what I remember about the moment isn’t the shame I felt in knowing I had a front row seat to the decisions I’d made, which I’m confident was flowing like a river. It wasn’t the position I now saw myself in that days before was just a dream. What is seared into my memory is the way I was received by those who had for days, weeks, months, years been trying to lead and guide me in ways that would produce good fruit in my life. It was total Grace.

As a ministry and a large society, we have the chance to offer that same grace when we see those who face any type of misstep in their own life. It’s crazy to me how so often we see culture pushing our young people to become sexually active, then leaving them by the wayside when the consequences come. We, as the church, are not supposed to be like the world. Our response needs to be one of well thought out love and compassion!

It got me thinking that especially in this area of out of wedlock pregnancy we have three key things we can do:

STEP UP

We are all able to do something when it comes to this issue. Could you be called to volunteer for a ministry that reaches out to this often-maligned part of culture? Could you spend some time in prayer on this issue? Could you be a voice out in your community or social media arena to share your story? Maybe you can STEP UP, speak into, and call out the strong in our young men who might easily just fade away in this whole scenario.

STEP OUT

This area can be so controversial in our faith-based community. We feel uncomfortable speaking out in favor of something that was the result of someone’s willful sinful behavior. May I remind you that this “something” is a BABY created in the image of God. It is our obligation as image bearers ourselves to speak life whenever and wherever we can. So STEP OUT of your comfort zone and ask God how you should respond when faced with this situation. 

And lastly, STEP A-SIDE…

Nope, not what you think. What if you stepped a side one of these young people going through this and let them know that they can do this! That God is for them, and with Him ALL things are possible even in the darkest of circumstances. Give them the courage to face one of the hardest, most rewarding journeys of their life with Hope instead of fear.

All this leads me to encourage you to seek out a pregnancy center in your area, ask your local church if they have ever heard of Embrace Grace, research both, and then listen to how God tells you to take that next STEP.