This is the Kerri I knew back in high school. The cheerleader whose bright and bubbly character brought her beauty to a level I could only hope for. Bright, intelligent, spunky and full of life, it is was those qualities she held that would draw you in with just a smile.
Little did Kerri know that not only would she be a cheerleader for our believed high school , but she would later in life become one for her son.
Kerri's son was born in 2006 three months premature. He was placed in NICU where he would live the first nine months of his life with a trach, vented and on oxygen,which would continue to be for the first two and half years of his precious little life.
As a mom, a cheerleader in her own right, Kerri begged, bargained and pleaded with God for the life of her child as she watched him struggle to survive.
During this time of struggle Kerri lost her home and her husband. Living far from her family in a different state, Kerri was facing many obstacles and hardships.
A storm that had come in like a hurricane and rocked every security she had known.
Her son's diagnosis was not promising in the natural.....
Her son was diagnosed with autism, cerebral palsy and pervasive developmental delay.
Though the storm raged, her questions of why unanswered, she was given a miracle......
A miracle she named Will.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths
And direct her path, He has.
Kerri was blessed with friends that got her moved back to her home state to be with her family.
He has placed the right people at the right time to help her in the daily tasks of taking care of Will.
He has provided for them with every step taken.
Never to leave nor forsake them.
God's word tells us .....
Philippians 4:19
But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Kerri is constant in her walk with our daddy God.
She trusts in Him and Him alone to meet all her needs in the care of her son.
I have found to be true, a mother's love is the foundation of strength and courage.
It is a love that can not ever be broken nor removed.
It is a love that is absolute where no boundaries can confine or withhold it's power.
A love that one simple touch can bring forth comfort and peace.
Kerri is that love.
Kerri is that mom.
The last ten years Kerri and Will's journey has not been easy,
There is so much in the care of a child and much more with a special needs child.
However Kerri does so with the grace and love of our daddy.
She has never taken for granted her precious gift the Lord has entrusted her with.
Her faith is one of a kind and she amazes me beyond anything I have ever had the honor to bear witness to.
Kerri's humbleness is a gift to all who know her.
Her grace covers with leaps and bounds.
Her love is never failing.
There was a time when she was praying for me. I told her I felt guilty for her doing so when my issues in life could not compare to her daily trials.
Kerri in all her grace stated, no matter how big or small our trials are we should not compare them in size to one another as they are all important in the eyes of the Father.
Once again my admiration for this beautiful lady and my friend jumps up a few more notches.
Few would look at Kerri and Will's daily struggles and maybe deem their lives a battle not to be won.
Many see the blessings of God written on the pages of their lives and the victories that are won moment by moment.
It is with every new accomplishment Will makes, he has his own cheerleader encouraging him, standing in prayer for him and believing in all of our daddy God's plans for his life.
When the days seem long....
When the nights become weary......
When the unknown creeps in and the longing for direction is overwhelming....
Kerri holds on to the Father, the one who directs her path for the journey of love she has been given to walk.
Kerri is the epitome of the words " She Stands".
The admiration I hold for her and her courageous strength can not be described with just mere words. She has and continues to teach me what hope truly means in a world that would have me lay down and quit when the storms of life become fierce.
Her roots that are planned so firmly in her love and faith in Christ has become a map of hope and light for me for my own journey in life.
Will continues to grow and make amazing progress.
He is God's miracle and his mamma's heart.
He is, regardless of what his medical diagnosis says, a light that shines the favor of God.
He is a testimony of God's unconditional love, grace and mercy.
Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
No matter our path in life, our daddy God places those in our life to encourage, cheer and hold us up in our walk. Kerri has been blessed with a multitude of family and friends that stand with her and for her and Will in their journey.
He never leaves us without provision.
Kerri and her precious son are proof of His divine love.
Not only is Kerri Will's cheerleader in life, she is one for our daddy God, constantly giving him the glory in every area of their journey.
If I was asked what scripture describes Kerri, there are several.
However the one that proves to be true in my heart and comes to mind...
Romans 12:12
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer
And that she does.......
Kerri... A lifetime Journey of Love......
She Stands!!!
xoxoxo
Stacey
**For all the parents raising special need children... You are precious and most blessed!**
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