When life pours rain on you, God spreads out His rainbow. And that was the experience of Kim Guidry Speirs. When she and her husband moved to Louisville, Kentucky, in the early 2000s, where she taught as an adjunct professor at the University of Louisville, little did she know that in 2007, she would end up as a full-time single mom with sole custody of an eight-month-old baby boy.
"When I first learned that my marriage was ending, I curled up with my son in the basement and cried until I had no tears left. My parish priest gave no comfort. I was angry, broken, confused, and unsure what to do next.” That’s when a very dear priest friend called from Jerusalem. “He provided tremendous spiritual advice, which I desperately needed,” she said. “First, he gave meaning to my suffering. He reminded me that as faithful Catholics, we often ask for the heart of Jesus. But, we forget that Jesus’ heart is filled with more than love, joy, and peace; it also experienced betrayal, abandonment, and abuse. Father reminded me that my suffering was a gift—a tiny sliver of the cross Christ bore for my sins.” The priest also told her that if she allowed God, He would take her sufferings and turn them into something beautiful. “I had a hard time imagining this,” she said. But in the years to come, she saw how God’s work of redemption would manifest in her life. Before moving to Dallas-Fort Worth, this mother and child would move to Austin, where Kim worked at the St. John Paul II Life Center. “I was blessed to see how God used my suffering to help nearly 1,000 women facing crisis pregnancies find hope and joy simply by being myself—a single mom who also faced similar struggles.” Seeing the many miracles in the lives of her clients and how God worked through the volunteers, staff, patients, and supporters made her appreciate her blessings. “There are no words to describe the emotions that run through your soul when you hold a baby that was scheduled to be aborted and see hope in the eyes of the mother. Each time I did that, it was a blessing ten times greater than the suffering I endured when my marriage ended,” she said. They have been members of the Mary Immaculate community for three years now, and she’s part of the formation team for one of their seminarians. Kim also works at the school, directing development and communications. “I hold two degrees in Communications with an emphasis in Journalism from the University of Louisiana, Lafayette. I’ve served as the Executive Director of the St. John Paul II Life Center, Communications Director at Heroic Media, Employee Communications Manager at McKesson, and the Director of Communications at two hospitals in South Louisiana. I’ve also taught adjunct at the University of Louisville (Kentucky), the University of North Alabama, and the University of Louisiana, Lafayette,” she shared. |
Being a full-time single mom was a tough task, but she finds help and support from her heavenly friends. “We’d call on them in times of need, such as the Blessed Mother, St. Joseph, St. John Paul the Great, Padre Pio, etc. As a single parent, I am constantly asking the Holy Family for guidance and help. I was blessed to be born into a family that incorporated faith into everything we did. When I was a child and was looking for something to do, my grandmother would say, ‘Go and ask Baby Jesus what you should do!’ For the past 13 years, I’ve done Catholic, pro-life work, which has helped strengthen my faith.”
Her son, Michael Francis Speirs, who is 14 years old, just graduated from Mary Immaculate School and will be heading to Creekview High in Carrollton in the Fall. “He runs cross country and is involved in scouting,” Kim proudly beamed. They chose Mary Immaculate Parish for the diverse community, the beautiful adoration chapel, the wonderful music, and the great reverence of the community during Mass. Their small family is growing, though. “We adopted Buttercup (half-terrier/half-chihuahua) nine years ago. My sister called and asked if we wanted a puppy since her dog just delivered one. I didn’t even know her dog was pregnant. Neither did my sister. This February, we adopted a second pup, Mifa, a half-hound/half-lab. Anyone with advice to help train this beautiful but very stubborn dog is welcome to contact me!” she said. Kim has indeed rebounded with grace. And for those struggling through life’s challenges, she offers this advice, “Unite your suffering with Jesus. Know that God would not allow these challenges to come to you if He hadn’t already given you the strength to get through them.” These are precious words of wisdom from someone who has gone through the struggles of single-parenthood. “But being a parent is the greatest treasure God has given me,” she quipped. We are blessed to have her share her story with our community of faith. And for our advertisers, she sends this warm message, “By supporting Catholic media like this, you have my support and that of many other faithful who want to support businesses that share their values and beliefs. Thank you.” This feature story appeared in print in the North Dallas Parish Neighbors Catholic Magazine - August 2021 edition. Publisher: Diane Hoyt Voirin of the Decided Excellence Catholic Media.
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