Despite It All, I Made It.

I was born and raised in the church. I got saved at an early age and I’ve always loved church. I went away to college and I got through some tough times, but got back on track with God. I graduated and ended up moving where I went to college. I started getting positions in the church. I was singing in the choir, on the praise team, I became the Vice President of the youth, and was also on the State level as Secretary for the Youth Department for a few years. Everything was great!

Some years went by and I hit another bump in my life that would change my life completely. I never thought this would happen to me. I got pregnant while being IN THE CHURCH and in position and all while not being married. YES, I was singing in the choir, one of the choir directors, and on the praise team. When I found out I was pregnant, I was completely devastated. I was thinking, “How am I going to tell my pastor I’m pregnant?” Telling my mom was hard, but easier than telling my pastor. I felt like I had let him down. I had to go the Council and resign from my position. I was silenced in my church and had to face all the talk from the "saints". EVERYTHING went left. I fell into a deep depression and I wasn’t eating. I completely shut down. Talking to my Pastor and First Lady made things easier. My First Lady always told me to set my face like a flint and that helped me get through. One of the senior mothers of the church, who I've known since I was a little girl, hugged me and said everything is going to be OK, I still love you. With the support of my Mother, who picked up her whole life to move where I was, I then knew no one else mattered and I began to get my life back. Depression was going away, and I didn't hide my pregnancy anymore. I saw that God had blessed me with an amazing gift. It wasn’t the baby that was sin, it was the sex before marriage. I had an amazing support system. Yes, I had to be silenced until I had my daughter, but during that silence I prayed more and asked God to change some things in my life and when I’m lifted from the silence that I would be a better me.

It was hard point in my life, but I made it through. When most people leave the church, I stayed and endured. I have a beautiful little girl that rocked my world, but I’m a better me. I’m also back in my positions. I’m one of the praise team leaders, a choir director, in the young people’s cabin, in ministry, and the State Vice President of the Young People in my State of the Western Region. I came back stronger. I’m now able to encourage others who are going through the same thing I went through. I got pregnant in the church without being married, but despite it all…I MADE IT!