Crying in his arms she said, “I’ve got something to tell you.” She then broke out in uncontrollable sobs for several minutes.

He spoke softly, “It’s alright dear, you can tell me. You know that I love you and want only the best for you.”

This made her cry all the more. After several long minutes she managed a few choking words, “You will never love me after today.”

Being caught by surprise and not sure what was coming next he responded, “Nothing will ever separate us. I am eagerly awaiting our coming marriage. Please tell me what is bothering you.”

She asked him to sit down and then proceeded to tell her secret, “My period didn’t come this month.”

Partly relieved, thinking something worse must be going on, he jumped in, “Are you sick? Do you need to go to a doctor?”

She was now more concerned for him than herself, “No, it’s nothing like that. I took a test this morning and it was positive.”

“What kind of test? What do you mean?”

She was starting to become aggravated now because her hints were not working. Choking back her tears, she finally blurted it out, risking everything, “I’m pregnant!”

The words hit the air and met total silence. She was afraid that she had just ruined all she had ever desired. She had been engaged to this wonderful man for one year. He owned his own construction company and was doing well. He would provide a good living for them. He had lavished her with praises and gifts. She loved him and wanted to be his wife. Now it was all at risk.

She would not look at him. She buried her face in her hands and softly sobbed. She noticed that he removed his hands from her shoulders. If she had looked up, she would have seen pain etched in his eyes. Bewilderment and betrayal was branded across his brow. She did not say a word, but just sobbed. She was not sure if life or death awaited her in his next words.

After a long few seconds, he said, “Who? When? I have always treated you with respect. How could you do something like this?” His deep hurt showed in the tone of his voice.

He paused and waited for her response. He was hurt too much to say anything else.

With her face buried in her hand, she said, “but I don’t know how it happened! I love you and I don’t want this to stand in the way of our marriage. I tell you I don’t know how it happened!”

“You don’t know how it happened? Be realistic, I’m not an idiot! If I marry you, my name and my family’s name will be disgraced. It’s a no-win situation. My friends at church will think we have slept together before marriage. I will be disqualified from my lay position. If I tell them I didn’t get you pregnant, you will be accused of being loose and your reputation ruined.”

Struggling against great emotion she said, “I love you. I don’t know how it happened. It is the truth.”

With patience all gone, he angrily said, “I love you, but I will not go through this disgrace. If you want this wedding to happen, you will have to get an abortion before anyone finds out.”

Her crying stopped along with her heart. She couldn’t believe her ears. She slowly looked up at him. She had been raised in the Word of God with the utmost respect for life. She could not believe this was the same man she deeply loved and respected.

“I can’t do that. This is a life inside of me.”

He retorted, “listen, you have just finished school with a good degree. My dad’s associate has offered you a great job. This could jeopardize all of that! Think of yourself and your future happiness. A child at this time will bog us both down.”

With a new found strength she replied, “I don’t know how this could have happened, but I know this child is special.”

Quickly, he verbally moved in, “I wish you would stop this nonsense talk, ‘I don’t know how it happened stuff’. Don’t bring it up again. I don’t want to know who the father of this child is. You don’t want to bring a child into the world under these circumstances. A child should be wanted by both parents. What quality of life would they have?”

The arguments and responses went back and forth all evening. He refused to budge on his requirement that she get an abortion. She grew in her resolve to die to her long held desires rather than commit a greater evil.

He finally drew the line with one last statement, “Mary, you get an abortion or the wedding is off!”

With death in her soul, she responded, “Joseph, I will not do it. I cannot do it. I am a virgin. I don’t know how this has happened. God has even given me a name for the child of Jesus.”

…What if the virgin birth had happened after the 1973 USA decision legalizing abortion?