Walking Through the Scorn

Ashley stopped in front of the school doors and took a deep breath. Over winter break, her stomach had grown considerably larger, and it was impossible to hide it anymore. But if she didn’t go in, she would be late for class. “Who cares?” She thought. She wished she could just leave, but where would she go? She pushed through the swarm of teenagers to her locker. As she hung up her coat, Ashley felt a shiver go down her neck. She glanced over her shoulder and saw a group of girls from church—staring at her. One of them whispered, another giggled. Ashley’s face burned. She grabbed her binder, shoved her backpack into her locker as fast as she could, and started walking toward her first class on the far side of the building. Hugging her binder, Ashley kept her head down, but she could still feel the eyes on her belly. Then she heard someone cough, “Preggers,” and a group of guys snickered. She would not cry. She would not cry. “Hey Ash, I’ve been looking for you.” Miles came up alongside her. Ashley breathed a sigh of relief and tried to smile, but that’s hard to do when you’re trying to keep tears from leaking out. “You sure you want to be seen with me?” she said. Miles held her hand gently. “Hey, I’m not leaving you guys to fend for yourselves. You’re an awesome mom, and I’m pretty set on being an awesome dad.” Then Ashley did smile. As they walked through the halls together, the glances still stung but not quite as bad. “This morning,” Ashley said, “I was reading Psalm 23, and that’s what this feels like.” Miles tilted his head. “Which part?” Ashley pulled a crumpled paper from her pocket. “I wrote it down: Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death ” She offered the paper to Miles, and he read the rEsther “ I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” Ashley nodded. “That verse is the reason I came to school at all today. But when my friends won’t even look me in the eyes, it’s hard to remember God is with me. So, I guess, thanks for being here. It helps me remember that God still cares about me.” Miles rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m sorry. Sorry you have to go through all this. Sorry we didn’t that I didn’t help us stop. I—I want to be here though. With you. I don’t know what it looks like to follow Jesus now, but I want to.” “Me too,” Ashley said. “Maybe we could talk to Pastor Carlos?” Miles pulled out his phone. “Yeah, I’ll text him right now.” Ashley stopped and Miles nearly bumped into her. “Oof!” He steadied himself. “Sorry, are you okay?” Ashley laughed. “I’m not that fragile.” She bumped his arm with a smile. “This is my class, and you should probably head to yours if you want to be on time.” Miles put his phone in his pocket. “Sent! Okay, can I walk you to your second class after?” “But won’t you be late to your class then?” Miles shrugged. “Maybe, but this is more important.” He squeezed her hand and whispered, “I’ll be praying for you.” She whispered back, “You too.” • Hannah Howe • While the characters in this fictional story didn’t follow God’s good plan for sex and marriage, God still loves them and their baby, and He is still working in their lives. People often make fun of us when we mess up, but God never makes fun of us. Instead, He wants to help us when we fail. How can you come alongside someone who is struggling and remind them God loves them? • God created sex for marriage—embodying the total, permanent union of one man and one woman. And this union points to the union of Jesus Christ and the church (Ephesians 5:25-33). How might the gospel affect the way you view sex and marriage? • If you’ve sinned sexually in any way (including lust), and you want to confess this to God and follow His good plan for sex and marriage, there is so much hope. Once you’ve put your trust in Jesus, you’ve been washed clean of every sin, and the Holy Spirit empowers you to turn away from sin. If you want to pursue gospel-centered sexuality, who are trusted Christians who could support and guide you, such as pastors, counselors, parents, or other mentors? • No matter what the circumstances are, a baby is always someone to celebrate, a wonderful new person who God has carefully created in His image (Psalm 127:3). God’s timing is perfect, and He will provide for all our needs when we seek Him (Matthew 6:25-34). If you think you might be pregnant (or if you know someone who might be), you can talk to someone confidentially at OptionLine anytime, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (chat: optionline.org, or call/text: 1-800-712-4357). They will listen with compassion, help you think through your options, and they can connect you with resources near you, such as pregnancy testing, medical assistance, and parenting support. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me Psalm 23:4 (WEB)