If you had told 20-year-old me, scared, pregnant, and heartbroken, that I’d one day be sitting across from other women in crisis, telling them they’re not alone, I’m not sure I would’ve believed you.

But that’s what God does. He takes what feels like the end and turns it into a brand-new beginning. This is my story of how He rescued, redeemed, and reclaimed my life.

Growing Up In The Chaos

I was born in Iowa and raised in farm country, but my childhood was anything but peaceful. My parents divorced when I was three. My sister and I, just 14 months apart, were tossed between homes, states, and schools. We never stayed in one place long enough to feel rooted.

I never saw what a healthy relationship looked like. Everything was chaotic, and I grew up craving stability and belonging. That deep longing followed me for years.

When I turned 20, I packed a suitcase and a carry-on, bought a one-way ticket, and moved to Arizona. It was a leap of faith. I didn’t know what was ahead, but I knew I needed something different. I was done with cornfields and broken cycles. I wanted a new life.

When Everything Changed

Within days of moving, I had a job. I was going to beauty school. I was living with my brother and his wife, and I was also plugged into a church, serving in youth ministry and singing on the worship team. Life was good.

Then I met a guy at my mom’s apartment complex. Two weeks later, I found out I was pregnant.

I remember sitting in church and thinking, “Something’s off.” I asked a friend to go with me to buy a pregnancy test. I ended up taking five of them. I couldn’t even look at the results. I made her do it. I was in denial. But she looked at me and said, “You’re pregnant.” I dropped to my knees and sobbed. “Jesus, I can’t do this,” I cried. “I can barely take care of myself. How am I supposed to take care of a baby?”

Her first piece of advice was, “You need to tell the pastors.” And so, before I even told my family, I told the church. I’ll never forget that meeting. The female pastor said she was ashamed of me and questioned how I could be a leader in the church and live like this. I walked out of that meeting feeling an inch tall.

And then it got worse.

The lead pastor told me I should place my baby for adoption because the father wasn’t a believer. Not long after, I received a private message from the church saying, “You’ve damaged the body by your immorality. You’re no longer able to be in fellowship with anyone here.” 

I was 21. Scared. Pregnant. Alone. And the church, the very place that was supposed to love me, surround me, and help me heal, shut its doors in my face. I lost every relationship I made at that church because of this.

The Wilderness Years

For the first three years of my son’s life, I didn’t set foot in a church. I was angry. I rebelled. I pushed God aside and tried to fill the void in all the wrong ways, drinking, isolating, running from everything that hurt.

But deep down, I always knew God hadn’t left me.

Eventually, my mom invited me to church again. I resisted at first, but I finally said yes. That decision changed everything. This church welcomed me with open arms. They didn’t care that I was a single mom. They didn’t shame me. They said, “Come as you are.” And I did.

I jumped in with both feet, serving in kids’ ministry, ushering, greeting, and singing on the worship team. If the doors were open, I was there. I felt seen, valued, and finally… loved.

Until it happened again.

When I told the church leadership that I needed to step back from one area of service to focus on being a single mom, they told me I couldn’t serve at all. Once again, I was excluded. And once again, I lost my church family.

But God never left me, and today, my relationship with Jesus is stronger than ever. 

Full Circle

I was working a job I was not happy with when someone at church mentioned a position at Hands of Hope Tucson, a pregnancy confirmation center in Tucson. I went to the orientation and cried through the entire video. Something stirred in me. I knew I had to be there.

At first, I turned it down. As a single mom, I couldn’t afford to make less money. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that God was calling me there. A month later, I called and asked if the position was still open. Their response? “We’ve known it was you all along. We were just waiting for you to say yes.”

I accepted the job. And then something wild happened. As I was entering my information into the system, my name popped up. Turns out, Hands of Hope used to be Crisis Pregnancy Center, the exact place I had walked into when I was 21, scared and pregnant, looking for a free test. The same creaky little house, the same wooden floors, the same warmth I had felt when a sweet woman handed me a tissue box and said, “God doesn’t make mistakes.”

Now, I was on the other side of that couch, telling other women the same thing that had once brought me to my knees in hope.

This Is What Redemption Looks Like

I’ve been working at Hands of Hope for five years now as a Client Care Specialist. I sit with women in the middle of their hardest moments and tell them they’re not alone. I’ve stood in delivery rooms. I’ve held newborn babies. I’ve received texts with photos that say, “You helped save him.”

I’ve seen God use my story, every heartbreak, every scar, every loss for His glory.

He’s not just given me purpose. He’s healed me. He’s walked me through an abusive marriage. He’s led me through healing classes like Mending the Soul.  And through it all, He’s taught me to surrender.

I used to say, “God, I trust You… but I’ve got this part.” Especially when it came to relationships. I desperately wanted to be loved, to have the picture-perfect family, the white picket fence.

But every time I tried to take the wheel, I crashed. Eventually, I laid it all down. “Jesus, I trust You. You are my sustainer. You are my strength. You are all I need.” And He’s been faithful. So, so faithful.

This year, I married my best friend, and together we are raising our three children. Just some proof that God redeems!

The Verse That Anchors Me

Jeremiah 29:11 has always been my life verse: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord. “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future.”

But if you keep reading, it gets even better. It talks about how when you seek God with your whole heart, you’ll find Him. He’ll bring you back from exile and restore what was lost. I lived that. I lost everything: home, stability, relationships, and God brought me back.

He restored it all.

When I left a difficult marriage, I returned to Tucson with just a car full of belongings, my son, and my dog. And God welcomed me home. He gave me back my role at Hands of Hope Tucson. He surrounded me with people who loved me. He restored everything I had lost, and more.

If You’re in the Middle of the Story…

If you’re reading this and you’re in the thick of your own storm, whether it’s an unplanned pregnancy, spiritual hurt, or deep loneliness, please hear this: Hang in there.

You are a daughter of the King. You are not a mistake. You are not alone. Jesus sees you. He’s gone before you. He is behind you. And He is walking beside you every step of the way.

My life is proof that He redeems. That He restores. That He reclaims.

And I wouldn’t trade my story for anything, because it’s His story now.

~KeriAnn

If you would like to hear more of KeriAnn’s story, listen to Episode #150 of Living the Reclaimed Life Podcast anywhere you listen to podcasts, or click HERE

If you find yourself or someone you love in an unplanned pregnancy in Arizona, please reach out to Hands of Hope Tucson at 520.622.5774 / [email protected]. Not in Tucson? You can call 866-800-8137 or click HERE.