Kelsey's Story

I was nineteen when I found out I was pregnant with my son. I was a sophomore in college at Auburn University. This was not the plan I had for my life. I was not married and felt like my world was falling apart. In that moment I was scared. How was my boyfriend going to react? Would my parents be disappointed in me? What would everyone think of me?
 
I waited a few days to tell my boyfriend. He was just as scared as I was. We were both fearful of how our parents would react. Surprisingly, they were very supportive. They were filled with so much grace and compassion.
 
With the help of our parents, we decided to continue our education at Auburn. This was not an easy battle. Going to school and having a baby was difficult to say the least. It required a lot of sacrifice and dedication. We could not have done this without the support of our parents. They were our rock and cheered us on the entire way.
 
We both finished school and have amazing careers. My husband and I are now happily married. We actually just welcomed another little one. I look back at all of the struggles of getting through school and think about how did we make it? There were times that I thought we would not make it through but we kept on pressing forward. It was the single hardest thing we ever did but the most rewarding. 
 
Do not let anyone tell you that you cannot have a baby and your education. You can have it all. My husband and I are a testament to that. It was a long and hard battle, but we made it through and I am so thankful we did. 
 
I remembered feeling embarrassed about having a baby very young and not being married. I pray that you never feel this. Everyone makes mistakes but your baby is never a mistake. God has a plan for your life that may just look a little different than you imagined. "Trust in Him with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding. I have a plan to give you a hope and a future." Do not let the judgement of others bring you down. Hold your head up and walk with confidence and never be ashamed of your situation. God loves you through it all and is so proud of you. 
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Disclaimer: The views, thought, and opinions expressed in this post belong solely to the author and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs and viewpoints for Baby Steps