If the person who originally wrote the post is still reading…
I have a son in college and his girlfriend got pregnant when they were 16. You need to know that my husband is a minister and our son has always been a strong believer.
When he told me, I flipped. I told him that he had ruined his life. I cursed, I actually had him leave and go to a friend's house that night. I also called the mother and the girl and said some very hurtful things that I can't take back. Basically… I called the girl a whore. They are not a Christian family, the girl isn't a believer and I was the worst example of what a Christian should be.
I am ashamed of my actions. He was scared and I responded with anger and fear.
Then came the fights. He hated us and we were disappointed in him. He started drinking and using drugs (with her and her friends), became violent, stopped going to church and became angry at God and us. There was was constant stress in our home.
So…. it was rough, for awhile. They broke up, he got worse, but went to court at 17 and was given joint custody. They both graduated early and started college.
Fast forward…. At 18 he still hated us, got back together with her and moved in with her and her parents. We cut him off financially but still saw our granddaughter. It was a time of healing for us. As sad as it was to have him out of the home it was peaceful and God gave me a new love for him and for his girlfriend.
Now….. They have a small apartment, work and go to school. They are engaged, getting married this year and we are all close again. I have our granddaughter often and have developed a relationship with my soon to be daughter-in-law. I hired her as an intern for my company last year and it was healthy for us to see each other in a different way.
I am proud of him. A lot of young men would have taken the out and walked away. To show my support I'm paying for their wedding.
Looking back I would have done things differently. When I first found the condom I wouldn't have accepted his lie that it wasn't his. I wouldn't have allowed him to date a non-believer (we thought it wouldn't last) and I would have responded to the news in a loving way.
Now, having said all of that, I still believe that abstinence can work. I was a virgin on my wedding day, so were my sisters and many other of my Christian friends. I had opportunities to have sex but chose to stay pure. For me, it was about my commitment to Christ and what I wanted for my life. I think as a parent I took for granted that my son would do the same. I also never thought that a girl would push him for sex (I know I'm stupid) but in our case that is what happened.
Through this process we have all learned a lot about God, grace and what it means to be a family.
What has brought the most healing is our granddaughter. She is beautiful, smart and sweet. It's not the journey that I wanted for my son but as parents there is a point when we have to let go and trust God.