birth story of dylan james: part 2

If you missed the part one of Dylan's birth story click here.

To say my journey into becoming the woman my baby needed was easy, would be a huge disservice. There were joys, pains, and heartaches.

I did not get away from the one key person in my life which I should have stayed away from... The guy I was "seeing" for the best few years before the pregnancy. I stayed with him and through it all, we brought out the worst in each other. Continual abuse and altercations were the norm. The things he said, I will never forget. I started to think so lowly of myself and actually believed it. I thought the things he said were the truth... I deserved this....

Through this damaging relationship, I did my best to shelter myself and my baby from the hurtful words and insults from those I loved and at one time had been so close to. I still had not told anyone about what had happened to me. In my mind, whatever the circumstances, Jesus loved me and died on the cross for me sins. He did not care about the sin, only how I grew closer to Him and handled my situation.

I dove into my relationship with the Lord. He was all I had. I had no friends and my family was very hurt and confused, not knowing all the details.

It's amazing to me the people in my life who called themselves friends and fellow Christians and hurdled the most hurtful words at me. Every time something was said, I hung to my Lord and Savior with all I had. Only through God's strength did I learn to love and forgive those people. Still to this day, I continue to go to church and be part of small groups with those who thought so little of me. I allow them to love my son and spend time with him.

When I look back, I am in awe and wonder of God's miraculous power. Without him, I do not know how I would have ever given up the habits I had so ridiculously found myself partaking in. I just remember thinking that it was time to change and with God's help, I would. I never looked back...

With time and finding out that this beautiful child I was carrying was indeed a boy, my mom and I started mending our relationship. Looking back, she did the best she could and was truly a rock for me during that time in my life.

I was about six months pregnant and we were going for a walk. I remember it like no other event in my life. We were walking and she stopped dead in the middle of the sidewalk. "Jodi, I had a dream and I need to ask you about it." And that was the first day that the truth began to unfold...

Stay tuned for the next installment of Dylan's birth story.
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O LORD my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me. Psalm 7:1