Ariel’s Story

Every so often a young woman comes through Special Delivery who leaves a positive and memorable impact on others. Ariel is one such woman. Her story is about choosing life and the emotional issue of placing her baby up for adoption. Single women who choose to parent their children come to realize, as all parents do, that even under the best conditions, raising a child is challenging. The alternative, adoption, can be a blessing to both the birth mother and the adoptive families -- as you'll see in Ariel’s Story.

I had been raised in the church by two loving parents; however, at the age of twelve, the church we attended went bankrupt. At about this time, I was going through a time of confusion, questioning God and searching in many of the wrong places. My search eventually led me into a lifestyle deeply rooted in the ways of the world.

On the surface, I hadn’t forgotten my Christian roots, but I found myself continually bouncing between a lifestyle of sin and my struggling faith. I clearly knew the difference between what it was to live rightly and also what was wrong. Like so many others, I went through all the motions of religion while refusing to surrender my will to the Lordship of Jesus.

It was when I finally hit rock bottom that I realized God’s calling upon my life. That bottom came at death’s door where God opened my eyes to how precious life is and how I had taken it for granted. At that moment, as I was facing death, I cried out to God for a second chance. I so desired to know and share my love-for life and for the world. I pleaded that He wouldn't let me die before I could be a mother. In some strange way, I believed that the experience of bearing a child and giving someone else a chance at life would give me purpose and make up for the life I had taken for granted. Perhaps, God was preparing me ahead of time because even though I wasn’t seeking to, two days later I found out I was pregnant.

While many would see my pregnancy as a mistake, I know it was this circumstance that God used to transform my life. Through my pregnancy and the process of deciding to select a family to adopt my baby, I learned just how much one person’s life affects another. God led me to choose a pastor and his wife to adopt my son. Interestingly, at the very same time they also adopted another boy, born ten-days apart from my son. I was thrilled that I was able to not only provide a solid Christian family for my son, but also that God chose to bless him with a brother. Through it all, I learned that when a person finally decides to surrender to God's will anything is possible.

Since the birth of my son, I’ve dedicated my life to the pursuit of Christ and the advancement of His kingdom. I’m currently in the Master's Commission, an intense one-year discipleship program. It’s been through my relationship with Him that I’ve finally found my purpose, passion and love for life. Special Delivery was the transition point between being lost and that change in my life. I’m blessed God uses this ministry as a tool to accomplish His will.

Please feel free to share with us your "Faith Story" by e-mailing 250 words or less to communications@occ.org. If you need some help communicating, our faith story tool will help you put your unique story into words.