Everyone Needs a Mrs. Kim

Jeremiah and Mrs. Kim

​Let me start off by saying that I am blessed beyond measure when it comes to friends. My cup runneth over with encouragers, grace givers, mercy momma's, special needs sojourners, powerful prayer partners, and beautiful servant hearts. I was hesitant to even write this post for fear that one of my many friends would somehow feel "less than". If you are one of those friends, know that I love you to infinity and beyond and am aware of the role God purposed you for in my life, my family's life. Thank you for fulfilling that role so wonderfully. There are just no words really. 

That being said, everyone needs a Mrs. Kim in their life. Kim has been one of my very best friends for about twenty years now. When I look back and see how God helped us find a little community church through a 4th of July parade and coincided it with Kim and her husband coming back from the army and Germany and choosing our neighborhood to settle in and church to attend...well...it's mind blowing really. His sovereignty never ceases to amaze me. And selfishly, I want to believe that, while there are any number of reasons for those two miniscule events happening in both of our lives simultaneously, God did it just for me. 

Kim is by far one of the most selfless, godly, joyful, and non-judgmental people I know. She loves me enough to tell me when I am being a boob or a brat, and is always there to share a good cry or laugh with. Most of all, she has been one of my biggest cheerleaders and encouragers in my parenting of Jeremiah. 

Kim loved Jerry and prayed for him before he was ever born. She was the first person to recognize that he might have some delays and she was a good enough friend to break it to me gently over a meal at Olive Garden almost 14 years ago. She was the first person I called after officially getting his diagnosis and has been there every step of the way since...and quite literally, even in walking on our Journeying for Jeremiah team at the Autism Speaks walk when he was only four. 

She helped me when I struggled to homeschool him, encouraging me and brainstorming with me over how to teach him even the basics. She never judged us when we made the decision to medicate him for his progressing adverse behaviors. When we made the even more difficult decision to send him to school outside of our home, she met me after dropping him off his first day for some food therapy at Dunkin' Donuts. Yep, she is that kind of friend! 

She provided respite for us on more than one occasion, even when Jerry was at his absolute worst, risking her own physical safety to let us catch our breath, if even for just an hour. 

She played at least a dozen games of Minion Life with Jerry while he was in the hospital with his SMAS. And she relieved us from hospital duty so we could go home, shower, change clothes, and spend some much needed quality time with our other kids. 

She has taught Jeremiah about Jesus, literally as his Sunday school teacher and through her actions loving him unconditionally. And I do mean unconditionally! She is one of the only people he will openly hug and say he loves. Here is a picture of Jerry after he earned his cape through a Bible character superhero curriculum Kim wrote and taught the kids. 

And here is one of my favorite videos of Jeremiah. He was six when Kim taught him the Easter story through a set of resurrection eggs. In Jerry's egg were objects representing each part of the story so that he could remember and retell it in his own words, as he is a very visual learner. 

Recently, Kim and Jerry have become movie buddies. She took him to see Goosebumps 2 last year and they were making plans for Toy Story 4 a month before it ever came out. She even sent him this invitation to go see the movie with her and a countdown calendar. 

I love her so much. She is my BFF and we have been accused of sharing a brain more than once! Thank you my friend. Look at that smile on his face! It is as genuine as her heart for him. 

Autism Speaks Journeying for Jeremiah Team

God's Superhero!

Minion Life with Mrs. Kim & Sam at the Hospital

Goosebumps 2

Toy Story 4