If you had a teenage daughter and she got pregnant, what would you do?
There is a key question, the answer to which should direct all you do, in navigating this difficult scenario: What is your goal and aspiration for your daughter?
If you had a lofty and sublime goal for your daughter's future, then getting pregnant as a teenager should be viewed as an interruption of her plans, and not an ultimate failure.
If she only sustained an interruption or derailment of her life's journey, then your job should be to assist in dealing with the consequences of her mistake in such a manner, that eventually she can course-correct and resume her march towards a triumphant destiny.
In light of these considerations, there are some things you would never do, namely:
Throw her out of the house, caring not whether she ends up homeless on the street.
Curse and deride her as a failure and embarrassment to the family
Blindly suggests that she marries the soon-to-be father of the child
Abandon her to unilaterally navigate all the painful emotional and physical consequences
Refuse to assist in providing the resources for prenatal and postnatal care.
There are some things you should do, namely:
1. Control your reaction.
2. Assure her that you love her and that you will never abandon her
3. Provide resources:
She needs to commence an understanding of the physiological changes in her body and the prenatal and postnatal duties of motherhood.
She will need emotional support. This is a moment of shock and stress, coupled with the familial and social pressures that she anticipates.
She will need financial support, example: Doctor's visits, housing and other expenses of daily living.
Spiritual maturity dictates that the Christian parent exhibits empathy, forbearance, sensitivity and compassion for one who finds herself in a state of dire need.
We should be followers of our Master, whose compassionate demeanor towards the weak and failing is revealed in the words of Matthew 12:20, (NKJV): “A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench”.
A reed that is bruised may be damaged, but it is not irreparable. The “smoking flax” may be about to lose its fire altogether, but it can still be reignited.
Scriptural references:
Romans 15:1 (New American Standard Bible)
Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength, and not just please ourselves.
Galatians 6:2 Carry one another's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
Matthew 12:20, NKJV). “A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench”
-Lloyd Allen
lloydallen.org
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