Young Christian Mom
by Rachel Dills
So here I was working two jobs but still had no money. Every day was a struggle to get up and
work nonstop to barely be able to pay bills. CDV finally got a job at some sort of calling
company. So we needed a babysitter. We brought in CDV’s brother to watch my son. That didn’t
last long. I had to walk back from work and one day when walking up to the house I could see
my son standing in the window crying. I went inside to find the babysitter sleeping. My son had
been crying for so long his eyes were swollen, he was wearing the same diaper I left him in that
morning, and he had barely eaten. Needless to say I immediately quit my job and the brother
was kicked out. I was not going to risk my son’s well-being.
But then that created even more problems. Since I was bringing in any money, I couldn’t control
any of it, so none of it was going to bills. Rent wasn’t getting paid, electric was about to be
turned off, and there wasn’t much food in the house. We were being threatened to be evicted. I
didn’t have much choice but to deal with it and do the best I could to talk him into paying bills.
It was also really hard because I didn’t have a car and he did. He would stay gone all the time
claiming he was working, but he really wasn’t. We were constantly fighting about money and
paying bills.
Things were just getting worse and worse. I would pray harder and harder but nothing was
changing. I had finally had enough. I was done living the way I was and subjecting my son to
things a toddler shouldn’t be subjected through. The relationship was over, but the problem was I
was stuck. My family couldn’t come get me. So I still had to stay with him.
A couple of weeks after ending it, I met Corey. He was amazing, nice, and compassionate. He
called me beautiful and showed me true kindness; something I had been craving for so long. After
leaving each other, we texted throughout the night. But then at about 5:00 that morning I got
arrested.
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photo: Woody Hibbard via Flickr / License/cropped