I got pregnant with my daughter at 19. I was terrified and couldn't imagine taking care of a child. I was living with my now husband’s, family; thankfully, they were extremely supportive. We were so young, lost, and consumed in the world. I was so nervous about telling my family. I grew up in a Christian household and felt like they would be highly disappointed in me. I wasn't close with my family then because I wanted to do things my way, which drove a wedge between us.
When we found out I was pregnant, my husband's family was getting evicted from their home and moving out of state. We were preparing to live in our car so we could save up to get an apartment. My parents found this out and decided to let us move in, but they didn't know I was pregnant yet. I was so scared to make things even worse between us, so I hid my morning sickness as long as I could. Eventually, I needed to tell my parents. They gave me a completely different reaction than I thought they would. Instead of being upset with me, they were very loving and even worried for me. Throughout my pregnancy, I developed hyperemesis gravidarum and was hospitalized multiple times.
While sick, I had a lot of time to sit and think about my life and how it was going. I realized that I needed to start doing things differently. I started small by listening to worship music and attending church occasionally. I heard about Embrace Grace through a friend and decided to meet with the leaders. They told me more about it, gave me a love box, and encouraged me to come. I went through the entire program, and now, after having my daughter, I'm attending Embrace Life regularly!
My husband accepted Christ about a month before our daughter was born. He had lost his job and was out of work when I was pregnant, and we had a mountain of bills piling up. My dad got Izaiha a job with a customer, and we were very grateful. Izaiah's new boss was able to spend every day preaching to him about God. Izaiha never believed in God and didn’t want to hear anything about him until now.
One day, while I was driving, Izaiha told me, “I think I believe in God.” At first, I didn’t believe him and kept asking, “Are you serious?”. I was a new believer and wasn’t sure if Izaiha would ever have the same beliefs as me. I prayed that Izaiha would change his ways. He was drinking, smoking, and hanging around people I wasn’t fond of, and I didn’t want our daughter around when she was born. He told me he was serious and believed that Jesus died for our sins. I broke down in tears at that moment.
While in Embrace Life, my husband and I were able to meet with premarital counselors through my church and plan a wedding. When our daughter was around seven months, on October 21st, 2023, I married my husband and had the women at Embrace Grace and Embrace Life attend. I felt so blessed to have an amazing community surrounding us at our wedding and even after.
Embrace Life has been an amazing community for me and my daughter. I look forward to meeting with these amazing women every week. One of my favorite lessons that we've had was about creating our bucket lists. I have been working towards my dream job, and going through those steps has been challenging. I prayed for financial security and a home for my family.
After about a year of jumping through hoops, I can get my GED. I plan to go to college to pursue my dream job in dental hygiene. I always felt like I wasn't smart enough for school, so I didn't care about my classes throughout high school. After having my daughter, I realized that returning to school would be best for me to provide for her. I still worry that I won't be able to understand specific topics, but with God telling me I am smart enough and can do it, I have been pursuing my GED.
One thing Embrace Life has helped me see is that God always provides. Putting my trust in Him has opened so many doors of opportunity for me. My favorite verse I've come across is Jeremiah 29:11: "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Embrace life has made it possible for me to seek out my dreams for my family while also connecting with God and His plans for me.
Fast forward to today, we had our daughter dedicated on May 5th, 2024. I am so incredibly grateful that God has a plan for our life and family and has worked everything out. Trusting that God has a greater plan is hard; you always want to take things into your own hands, but his plan is always greater.
Find a place of belonging in a support group for moms with unexpected pregnancies or single, young moms and dads.
