Testimonies: Amanda Young, Part 2

Here is the second part of Amanda Young's story.  Read down to the bottom, because I have a beautiful surprise for you!

Once I made the decision not to have an abortion, I needed to take a good look at all of my options. I did not know very much about adoption at all. I had heard of open adoption before, but did not know anything about it. I was given a list of local adoption agencies from Life Services. I decided call Nancy Johnson from Spokane Consultants in Family Living. When we met, she answered all of my questions. She made me feel so supported. After we talked, I really felt like adoption would be the best option for me. One of the deciding factors for me was that I really wanted my baby to have a dad. I loved her with my whole heart, and I wanted to give her everything she deserved. She deserved a father, and that was something that I would not be able to give her. Yes, I know that God is her ultimate father, but I feel like a physical father is also very important.

I felt like, when it came down to it, I was still a kid myself. I was not ready to raise one. Sure, I was “mature for my age,” but I did not have the emotional or mental stability to support a child. I realized that I still had a lot of growing up to do.

The simple answer to why I had an adoption, is that it was God’s will. God showed me that I was not ready to raise a baby, even though I loved her so much. I knew that having an adoption would be hard, but God also showed me that He would carry me through it. I knew that my God is strong enough to overcome anything, and that He is the God of all comfort. I had confidence that He would be there with me every step of the way.

At the beginning of my trial, when I first found out I was pregnant, I thought it was the worst thing that could have ever happened to me. God turned that all of that around! Elliana is truly the best thing that has ever happened to me. I can’t even count the blessings that have come for choosing life for her; for choosing to follow Jesus… She was truly an answer from God.

I did what was hard. I followed God’s plan for me. I was walking completely in the dark with no idea where I was headed. All I knew, was that The Lord was my guide. He truly brought me to that place of nothingness. I knew that I would not be able to get through that trial without Him, and that was exactly where He wanted me to be.



"This is my favorite happy ending."  ~Amanda Young



Even though my pregnancy was a result of rape, the best decision that I have ever made, was the decision to not have an abortion. Honestly, I feel like if I had never gone to Life Services, I probably would have ended up having an abortion. I am extremely grateful that I was spared from that terrible heartache. I also realize that not all girls are as fortunate… Those are the girls that my heart really goes out to. Those are the women that I pray my hardest for. They are the ones who need our love. They need the healing that only Jesus can bring to their hearts.

I challenge you to open your hearts, and actually make an effort to be there for those who are broken. They are the ones who need you. I challenge you to share hope with those who are hopeless. That’s what the volunteers at Life Services are doing all the time. But I want to challenge you to be a light to the broken wherever you might be. If that one woman from church had not been there for me to tell me about Life Services, who knows where I might have ended up. Just be there for someone else. That’s all it takes. We need to stand up, and start talking about our problems, and the problems that we have yet to face. That includes abortion! Some people are at the place where they have no one, and that’s when they need Jesus. Someone needs to point them to Him, or they might never find Him. We all have struggles. We need to learn to not be afraid of them. Rather, we need to learn to embrace each other, and point each other to our Heavenly Father. Step up, and make an eternal difference in someone’s life. If you know Jesus, chances are, someone made an investment in you… Get out there and make the same investment in someone else.



A gift from God!  Elliana's adoptive family.





And now, the surprise.  Amanda is going to be a permanent writer on We Can't Ignore!  I am so excited to have her, she will be an amazing addition to the team.  If you would like to contact Amanda, email her at wecantignore@gmail.com.  She will be up and posting in the next couple weeks.  Thanks, as always, for reading!