The following true story was written as told by Kerri LeBarre in a recent interview.

  

PRAYER’S BIG EFFECTS

ON A SMALL TOWN GIRL

by

Brenda Mayfield

 

Twelve-year-old Kerri, on December 27, 1981, stepped onto a main street in her little hometown of Quincy, Massachusetts. Her golden hair bounced atop her healthy 70-pound frame as she proceeded across. A tow truck driver, who had just left the local bar, weaved toward her. Seconds later, her friend Maureen watched in shock from the sidewalk. Kerri’s body flew like a rag doll 50 feet through the gray, chilled air.

 

Maureen delivered the tragic news to a church where Kerri and she attended youth group for a few months prior the accident. The youth director responded by offering many prayers for Kerri.

 

Kerri remained in a coma for nearly a week. She suffered a brain contusion, fractured elbow, and injuries to her back, knee, and hip. Her recovery was slow, but she did recover. Doctors and family members were surprised to see her alive—talking and walking.

 

Five years later, at age 17, Kerri questioned her recovery from the blow. Searching for explanations, she asked doctors. But they had no answers. Kerri asked Maureen, “How did I survive, when I should have died?”

 

Maureen replied, “All I know is… people at that church prayed for you.”

 

Kerri began to ponder the answer, but her thoughts quickly diverted to present disappointments. Her relationship with her parents crumbled and some of her close friends became heroine users. Kerri’s heart ached with emptiness.

 

Seeking an escape, she purchased a one-way ticket to the Florida Keys. There, she worked at resorts, lived with her boyfriend, and smoked marijuana. Her only healthy reprieve was volunteer work with dolphins at a research center.

 

Occasionally, Kerri thought of God but wrestled with two opposing viewpoints:

1.      He doesn’t like me because I’m living in sin.

2.      He loves me in spite of my sin.

 

On Christmas of 1997, Kerri returned home to her parents. Unfortunately her relationship with them remained dysfunctional, so she headed to the local bar. She sat for hours in the dark place of lonely souls, until a friend from high school entered and approached her. Shaking his head, he said, “Kerri, it seems like just yesterday that you were hit by the tow truck driver… when he left this same bar and then nearly killed you.”

 

At that—Kerri thought, “I will likely go out and do the same.”

 

Kerri returned to her parents’ house. Wanting to numb her feelings, she called an old friend—a heroine user. The friend’s ex-fiance, John, answered the phone. He gave Kerri a timely invitation. “I attend a Bible-believing church. Would you like to go with me tomorrow morning?”

 

Kerri responded, “Sure, I’ll go.”

 

At the service Kerri sat between John and an old acquaintance, Jacqui. She noticed something unusually beautiful about these two—something she longed for but could not describe.

 

At the close of the message the pastor asked, “Would you like to give your life up in exchange for a new one?” Kerri fidgeted in her seat. Jacqui whispered in her ear, “I’ll walk with you to the front for prayer.” Kerri agreed and prayed to receive Christ as her Savior and Lord. From that moment on, her life blossomed like a rose in spring.

 

In 2000, Kerri heard a challenging sermon from her pastor of Calvary Chapel, Boston. He spoke on bitterness and forgiveness. In response, Kerri knew it was time to meet the tow truck driver.

 

Kerri approached the driver at his auto repair shop and discussed her car’s faulty muffler. Refusing to confront him about the accident, she left quickly and drove onto the same street where his truck had slammed into her body. Suddenly, a ball rolled out in front of her car. An instant thought alerted her, “A kid is always behind a ball.” Kerri stopped the car. A thin blonde girl (who looked age 12) retrieved the ball and said, “Thank you.”

 

Kerri concluded that her healing and the prevention of another accident was God’s way of displaying His mercy. She later expressed her forgiveness to the tow truck driver in a card:

Sorry I never told you that I am okay. I forgive you. Jesus healed me.

 

Twenty-two years after the accident, Kerri entered a coffee house and saw the youth leader who prayed for her. With a delightful smile, Kerri introduced her new self and told him about the results of his prayers. She shared stories of her healing, salvation, and growing relationship with Jesus. As Kerri left, the youth leader wiped a joyful tear from his cheek.

 

At the close of Kerri’s interview, I inquired about her thoughts on the importance of prayer. She said, “I pray all the time.”

 

“Why?” I asked.

 

After a reflective pause Kerri answered, “It is the only form of communication that makes sense.”