Becky (Reinhardt) Jones of Scottsbluff knows what it’s like to be a single mom going through an unplanned pregnancy, as that’s what happened to her when she had her first child 15 years ago at age 19. Jones had a desire to help other single women going through an unplanned pregnancy, so two years ago she and other leaders at WestWay Christian Church in Scottsbluff started a new program there called Embrace Grace, which helps women with unplanned pregnancies find a place of belonging within the church through support groups.
JEFF FIELDER Editor
SCOTTSBLUFF – Becky (Reinhardt) Jones always tried to live a Christian lifestyle growing up.
She enjoyed being active at her church, including being involved on the praise team and in the youth group, and in high school, she also enjoyed participating in Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Jones was well respected not only by her family and friends but also by other people in the Scottsbluff community, where she grew up. She was known as a good kid – and a smart kid, too, as she was the salutatorian of her class.
A talented musician, Jones had big aspirations in life after she graduated from Scottsbluff High School in 2004. She had earned a scholarship to attend St. Olaf College, a prestigious liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota, and her goal was to be a piano performance major.
Things went well for Jones the first couple months she attended St. Olaf College. But something unexpected happened just before Christmas 2004 that shocked her and changed her career goals – and her life – forever.
She learned she was pregnant – at just 18 years old. It was a devastating moment for Jones, who always wanted to be a mother – but not an unmarried mother.
Even though Jones was in a serious and committed relationship at the time with her high school sweetheart, Dustin Jones, a 2004 Scottsbluff High School graduate who was the father of the child, Becky still felt an immense amount of guilt and embarrassment – both for herself and for her family.
“It was a really stressful and hard situation,” Jones said. “So many things were running through my mind. One of the biggest things I think people feel in that situation is shame. I was known as a good kid, and I had that Christian resume, so I felt a lot of shame when I found out I was pregnant. It was almost like I had been living a double life that finally came to light. It was painful having to tell my family that I was pregnant. I knew how sad they would be that my life wasn’t going to go the way they had expected it to go. My parents’ dreams for me were kind of imploding.”
You can read the entire story in the October issue of Nspire Today! magazine. A one-year subscription (12 issues) is only $15. You may sign up for a subscription by sending $15 to Nspire Today!, P.O. Box 454, Scottsbluff, NE 69363, or you may pay with a credit card by calling 308-220-8865.
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