It's not often that you stumble upon someone who truly moves you with their life story, but a peek into the journey that Sherry McLaughlin has traveled just might cause an emotional stir. She's a true testament to the power of faith, hope and perseverance.

A Little Faith Will See You Through

By Carrie Gibson

McLaughlin is 40 years old, a business owner, a professional speaker, an author and the single parent of a 14- year old autistic child. She graduated with her Master's of Science degree in Physical Therapy in 1990 from Andrews University in Berrien Springs, and married the love of her life, Doug McLaughlin, a mere two weeks later.

In 1998, Sherry founded the Michigan Institute for Human Performance (MIHP) as a seminar/consulting business after she realized there was no reason for most people to be suffering from musculoskeletal pain. She then went on to launch the Missing Link seminar for physical therapists and her professional seminar series was on its way. MIHP now offers six professional seminars as well as community-based and corporate programming because she and her associates are adamant that if you respect the body's amazing design, it is possible to live a pain-free life.

Last year, Sherry suffered a life-altering loss when her husband, Doug, committed suicide. “He lost his battle against severe clinical depression,” which, Sherry said, hurled her into a period of “grief and sorrow, but also one of healing and hope and understanding. Depression is a disease, not just someone having a bad day. I learned this in a very real sense and I think it is a message that can bring healing to many survivors of suicide.”

It seems Sherry has made it her life's mission to refuse to allow pain to take control, not only for her patients who are suffering from physical ailments, but also for herself, as she dealt with the emotional pain of losing a loved one.

Sherry's biggest success in the past year was publishing her latest book, Lessons from the Loveseat. “It's a story,” she said, “that will always be near and dear to my heart, as it is the story of my marriage to Doug. I started writing it before Doug passed away and I wrote the final chapter when I was hiking in Colorado to bury his ashes.”

The book is a testament to what a great love can do for two people…even after one goes away. I have heard from many readers who have been moved to love to a deeper level and those stories humble me beyond belief. I can't think of a better tribute to one of the best men I've ever known, and the best man that I have ever loved.”

As for the rest of her family, Sherry's gang might, at first, seem a bit unconventional; however, they are her biggest source of happiness. “Jon, my No. 1 son is actually my late husband's half brother,” Sherry explained. “We took legal guardianship of him when he was 14 years old. He is now 30, married and living in Texas working in the financial industry.”

Joshua is 14-years old and is my only biological child. He is autistic and just started high school this year. Though he is not very verbal, he is a wonderfully loving, pure child who has taught me so much about what life is really about. He has a sense of peace about him that draws people to him. There are a lot of people who tell ‘Joshua stories' because when you meet him, you are changed somehow.”

Christina was the next to come to our family, with her little girl Evelynn. They were 21- and 2-years old respectively. Christina is actually my 2nd cousin. They moved in about two weeks after Jon moved out. I literally painted the room from blue to green, threw two mattresses down on the floor and they moved in. Christina was trying to pull her life together after struggling with drugs. It wasn't easy, but she has successfully turned her life around. She is now engaged to be married, a homeowner and has a great job as a purchasing assistant for an international company. Her daughter, Evelynn is now 7-years old and thriving.”

Sherry's incredible journey has helped her to share a unique perspective, relating a life of faith to traveling on a river. “God has a plan for each of us,” Sherry said, “but he also gave us free will. It is our job to jump into the river…even though it twists and turns and we can't see around the next bend. It is human nature to jump out when things get rough or don't go as planned and I think that is one of life's biggest potential tragedies because if you jump out too soon, you just might miss out on the better ending. The river knows where it is going…”

When things haven't worked out like I had hoped…and believe me, I've had my fair share of that, having a special needs child, owning and operating a business, having to shut one clinic down after spending a fortune on getting it open and then suddenly being widowed…I force myself to stay in the river…have some faith…and so far I haven't been disappointed.”

When asked to share the keys to her success, Sherry said, “I think it is doing the best work that I can, keeping a balance in my life, praying every day and leaving the worry to a God who can handle it much better than I. Oh, and nurture the relationships. We can run around being so darn productive…but when the smoke clears, what really matters is the relationships you nurtured along the way…with family, co-workers, friends and business associates. My mentor once said, ‘Turn towards them…not away…that's how the love moves between.'”