14 and pregnant

A 14 year old pregnant resident of the Lois' Lodge maternity home prayed to invite Christ into her life today. She prayed a prayer something like this: "Lord Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross for me. I confess those things in my life that aren't pleasing to you and ask you to forgive me and cleanse me. Right now, in the best way I know how, I open the door of my heart and life and trust you as my Savior and Lord. Take control of my life. Change me from the inside out. Make me the type of person you created me to be."

I am thrilled about this on so many levels. Number one, of course, are the eternal implications. I believe that God offers us the free gift of eternal life. God sent His son, Jesus Christ to die on the cross and to pay the penalty for our sins. We each are given the opportunity to choose to accept this gift and to invite Christ into our lives as our Savior. John 3:16 tells us that "For God so loved the world that He sent his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life."

I am also thrilled because the decision made by this young lady has given me renewed hope for her future and the future of her child. Many fourteen years olds live in "la, la land". They are not particularly developed in their ability to think as adults until they reach at least 15 or 16 years of age. At 12, 13, or 14 years old, adolescents are generally incapable of making decisions based on a reasoned understanding of the future consequences of their actions. Their brains have yet to develop the connections that allow them to think that way. Teens at this stage live much more in the moment than do older teens or adults. Adolescents often do not connect the actual act of intercourse with the real possibility of having a baby nine months later. This inability to perceive future consequences of current behavior is called cognitive immaturity. It is this cognitive immaturity that limits us in being able to reach these moms regarding the reality of their circumstance.

M. Scott Peck opened up his best-selling book “The Road Less Traveled” with three profound words: “Life is difficult.” And he’s right — it is. And many seekers begin their spiritual search not for the discovery of truth, but for the discovery of coping strategies, for survival, for a way to make it through another day. As one man said, “I need to know whether or not its true, but I also need to know whether or not it works.”

Christianity begins its practical relevance for the human life with the life of Jesus, a working, compelling model of how life is to be lived. By enacting what we ought to be like, He showed who we were meant to be. Christianity also has the most relevant, comprehensive handbook imaginable in the Bible. And what it has to say is relevant to every aspect of life, such as marriage, parenting, relationships, finances, business, self-image, and family life. Also, Christianity offers us power for living. And we need power — not only to endure the stress and struggle of life, but to also experience lasting, authentic life-change in the areas of our weaknesses. At Lois' Lodge we believe that an individual’s life destiny is not dictated by childhood experiences or family of origin, but rather the degree to which one trusts God through faith and obeys His Word.

From the beginning of creation, it has been clear that the heart is the very seat of all our sins. (Genesis 6:5, Matthew 15:19) Unless the heart is changed, one's life and behavior cannot permanently change. That’s the bad news. The good news is that God gives us choice through free will. He never requires of us anything we cannot do. As we submit our wills to God, we find abundant Life. I believe that we can offer all the practical support and counsel in the world at Lois' Lodge - but- the only way lives can truly be changed is by the truth and power of God’s Word and the work of His Holy Spirit. If you want to learn more about the Secret to Life Change go to: www.loislodge.org/secrettochange.html

Debbie