Who are the women you turn to when you need to talk? Who are the women you seek out when you are facing a crisis? Who are the women you look to for wisdom and comfort, reassurance and encouragement?
Mary desperately needed to talk to someone after the angel Gabriel turned her world upside down. She needed help processing Gabriel’s stunning news that she would be the mother of God’s Son. During that divinely disruptive conversation, Gabriel pointed Mary toward her elderly relative Elizabeth. The angel claimed that Elizabeth, who had carried the burden of barrenness for decades, was now carrying a child. Could this be true? Mary made a beeline for the hill country to find out.
As soon as Mary set foot in Elizabeth’s house, she received the confirmation that she sought: Elizabeth was six months pregnant. Enlightened by God’s Spirit, Elizabeth already knew about Mary’s mysterious pregnancy, and she joyfully affirmed what God was doing in the young woman’s life. Reassured by her relative, Mary left the hill country three months later with bolstered confidence and deepened faith.
One of the things that makes The Next Door unique is our willingness to serve pregnant women. The Next Door gives pregnant women the opportunity to access treatment services while receiving prenatal care. During a time when they may be feeling overwhelmed and ashamed, afraid and alone, pregnant women can find wisdom and comfort, reassurance and encouragement within our doors. They can leave this place with bolstered confidence and deepened faith, better equipped to be mothers, better equipped for lifetime recovery.
