Welcome to Mighty Men's Training Institute

The sun felt warm against the back of Sara’s neck as it blended perfectly with the soft breeze against her cheek. Lost in thought, the world kept moving around her as birds chirped and people walked past the bench that she occupied. Attempting to wrap around all of the recent events of her past her mind was occupied as another being sat next to her. Looking up Sara’s bright blue eyes met the warm gaze of the stranger that intruded on her personal sanctuary. That set of eyes belonged to the face of a young, teenage girl with soft features. They were looking back at Sara with a tenderness that offered her a small sense of comfort.
No words were exchanged between the two teenage girls as their looks shifted simultaneously across the street in front of them. Partly blocked by a large maple tree the word ‘Clinic’ was the only thing visible on the large sign above the building. Unconsciously Sara found her hands softly sliding across her abdomen. “Do you have an appointment,” the words of the stranger quietly rang from across the bench. “Do YOU have an appointment,” Sara shot back, almost without thinking, out of bitterness towards the intrusive question.
“You could say that. Do you?,” the gentle words dented the emotional shield Sara has constructed. Sara attempted to ignore the question but the more she resisted the more uncomfortable she felt not answering. Her reply came almost as a whisper, “Yes.” “You don’t think you can do it, do you,” another question, another intrusion.
“Do what,” Sara once against shot back.
“I don’t mean what you have scheduled across the street. You don’t think you can be a mother, do you,” regardless of intentions, or the softness in her inquiry, Sara felt the need to defend herself against this stranger who couldn’t be any old than she was.
“I don’t know who you think you are. You don’t know anything about me. You don’t know anything about my life. I have no one to help me. My dad left when I was three and my mom works two jobs just to support my sister and me. My ex wants nothing to do with me, I’m a sophomore in high school and no, dang it, I don’t think I can do it,” each word came with bitterness until the tears started to flow. “You can do it, Sara,” came the soft, sweet reply of the stranger. “And how the heck would you know,” once again Sara shot back like a poisonous dart.
“Because I did it. I was a young pregnant teenager and it felt like the weight of the world was on my shoulders. I lived in a small town and everyone there looked down at me. They called me names and accused me of doing horrible things. But in the end, I realized that once that little thing in me started to grow, the purpose of my life changed. Regardless of what I thought my life had in store for me. Regardless of the plans I made. As soon as I knew He was inside me, I had no other choice but to do everything I could possibly do to protect him because that was now my life.” The words of the plain looking stranger brought a sense of peace to Sara’s anger. Not knowing what to say. Thoughts and feelings buzzing through her like bees out of a shaken nest, her voice brought forth the only thing she could think to say, “How do I know I can do it?” It was then that the stranger took Sara’s hand in hers and their gazed met. As the stranger spoke, her reply fed Sara’s soul like warm soup on a cold day,” Because God knows you can. There is no trial, no problem, no trouble that we face that we aren’t strong enough to get through. You are pregnant not only because you made a mistake but because God knew you could do it. Sara, He knows every hair that is on your head. He knows you better than you can imagine. And He knows that you can do this. He knows that not only can you be a mother but you can be a great one.”
The tears from Sara’s eyes littered her shirt with wet spots. There hasn’t been a time in her life where a single person had believed in her, including herself. Now, somehow, this odd stranger who was no older than her, brought a message of belief and strength. In that moment Sara didn’t know for sure if God was real but she did know that the hope and peace in her heart was. It was a feeling that Sara didn’t want to ever let go and would search her whole life to find the source of. “Do you have an appointment,” the stranger asked Sara for a second time that sunny afternoon.
“Not yet,” she replied, “but I’ll call my doctor as soon as I get home.”
Leaning over Sara reached out and wrapped her arms around the stranger with a tremendous hug. After the two girls embraced, they both rose and traded soft smiles. Nodding to each other they began to go their separate ways. Sara turned back at the last moment and found the stranger just about to get on a bus across the street.
“Wait, what was your name,” she shouted her question.
“Mary,” the stranger shouted back with a beaming smile as she boarded the bus and Sara watched her ride away into the beautiful afternoon.