Published by kaleenab
“I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become”.
Let’s begin by giving all the glory to God for bringing you and I together. I have a story to tell, a story that you and I may share. It involves more than just being the mother of a preemie son. My story is one of triumph and spiritual awakening, as I now known the power of God for myself. I have witnessed a miracle and as a result my life will never be the same. As I write about the son I prayed for, the son who was born one pound and five ounces on April 27, 2012, I can’t help but repeatedly thank my Heavenly Father for bringing us this far. I thank him daily for this strong, beautiful baby boy who has made my life worth living. My son is a survivor. Through his birth 16 weeks early, I learned how to submit, how to trust in God, and most importantly, I learned how to pray. I learned how to stand strong in the promises of my God and to be sure. I prayed for my preemie like his life depended on it, and it did. His birth was my very first storm, and I had not yet built up the spiritual protection to shelter and strengthen me. I asked God to provide what was needed for both of us to make it through. And not only did God listen, but he carried me along the way. As a result, I have a relationship with God that is exciting, refreshing and new. My son’s birth saved my soul and brought so many of our friends and family to a renewed sense of God’s power. It has fulfilled its purpose. I don’t know where or who I would be without my Sonshine.
The first step to healing is to remember one important thing, our children were not early. They were right on time, God’s time. God assigns us all birth and death dates, and your child’s birthday was never that “far away” date the doctor gave you. Understand that God is always in control. So if you simply seek His face and believe his word, there is nothing to be afraid of. The second thing to remember is that miracles are happening around us every day. Some we see, most we are not aware of. There is nothing more powerful than our God. All you have to do is trust that he will fight your battle. Trusting in God is a decision you make. You momma’s faith is not going to be enough for your journey through this. It’s between you and Him. Step out of your pity and step into your faith.
Kaleena K. Berryman is an education advocate, youth mentor and writer. Born and raised in the city of Newark, she graduated with honors from Arts High School, as a Television Communications major. After being awarded a Presidential Scholarship to William Paterson University, Kaleena earned a Bachelor’s degree in Communication in 2004, with a minor in African American & Caribbean Studies. She served as President of her college’s chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and founded the first culturally responsive campus monthly publication, entitled UMOJA. In January 2011, she earned a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Rutgers University Newark.
Currently, she is the Program Coordinator for the Abbott Leadership Institute at Rutgers University Newark, which teaches education advocacy and family engagement skills to parents, educators, community leaders and students in Newark, NJ. She also serves as the advocacy coach for the institute’s Youth Media Symposium, which inspires Newark youth to use the power of their voice and the media to advocate for better schools.
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