A 'less than perfect" life made whole Actor Sherri Shepherd knows that life can hurt; however, she knows first hand what a difference Jesus can make. by Teresa Lockhart   Comedienne Sherri Shepherd is in the business of making people laugh, but lately she's also had reason to smile. Her saucy humour and magnetic personality have landed her a string of coveted roles on today's hottest shows.   A guest star on the hit NBC series Friends, Sherri also won a recurring role on CBS' Everybody Loves Raymond, co-starred opposite Brooke Shields on NBC's Suddenly Susan, and played stage manager "Melva" on chef Emeril Lagasse's show-within-a show Emeril. Now fans can look for her this fall on the ABC comedy Less Than Perfect, which stars Andy Dick and Eric Roberts.   Though Sherri's success continues to multiply, she recalls a period in her life when she didn't care whether she lived or died. It wasn't until 1993, when she accepted Jesus Christ as her Saviour, that her life was filled with hope and purpose.   Sherri was still in high school when she moved from the Chicago area to Los Angeles. "I was out here doing stand-up comedy, and everything was going wrong. I was in a very abusive relationship and was making really bad choices," she reveals. "Consequently, because of these bad choices, I was homeless. I had gone to jail, my car had been repossessed more times than I can count, and there were garnishes on my cheques."   Sherri remembers falling to her knees, crying and searching for God. At the time she was a Jehovah's Witness and believed she couldn't go to a Christian church to find peace. So she fell to the floor right where she was and cried out for God.   "I said, 'Lord, if you are there, if you kind of love me, can you help me?' "   God then sent someone into Sherri's life who introduced her to Jesus.   "Once I accepted Christ I immediately had peace. I still didn't have a place to live, I still didn't have a car, but I had peace. There's a Scripture that talks about a peace that surpasses all understanding; thatıs what I had," she explains.   Soon after accepting Christ, Sherri saw the pieces of her life come back together. She found an apartment and was able to take the bus to work. "When I accepted Him, things did change," she states. "I found a strength I could draw on."   The 30-ish actor recently married actor and comic, Jeff T. Aware of Hollywood's staggering divorce rate, Sherri says, "I want my marriage to be different. I just have to protect it with everything I've got."   She laughs when she thinks about the many times her married friends used to tell her to enjoy being single. "Oh, my goodness," she sighs, "now I see what they mean. Now I have to find the time to have my relationship with Jesus, but then I've got to take care of my man. Jesus is No. 1, but my husband is No. 1-A."   Is it difficult being a Christian in Hollywood? Sherri says yes and no. "I think as a Christian you're always making a stand. I'm always having to pray before I go on the set: Lord, what is my assignment? Use me. Show me what you want me to do," she says.   "Being in Hollywood it's really easy to get caught up in a lot of stuff (alcohol abuse, drug use, illicit affairs, etc.). If you don't have the Holy Spirit there putting a check on you all of the time, it's kind of easy to take the wrong path."   Sherri refuses to curse or do sex scenes. "I believe God has called His people to be a light in darkness," she says. She feels God opens doors for her to share Christ with people that most people will never have the opportunity to meet. Though she often feels like a "stuttering Moses," she follows God's lead. "It's so amazing how a person who you thought wouldn't even want to hear about the Lord can be so responsive," she says.   Sherri Shepherd is a people person. "I love people so much," she says. "God has given me the gift of laughter, and I feel that is the calling He's given me, to minister and heal through laughter."   Ironically, the types of characters Sherri plays on her shows are really the opposite of who she is. On Less Than Perfect, Sherri plays a character who works in the basement while one of her best friends gets a job working upstairs with all the "beautiful" people. Sherri's character, set in her ways, struggles with her own self esteem issues while dealing with her friend's move to the top.   "People tease me because in all the shows I do I play very strong, sassy women who don't take any mess and will tell you off in a minute," she says. "Everybody who knows me knows that is so not Sherri. Sherri is the one you go to when you're hurting. She'll pray for you, and she'll invite you to Bible study."   Sherri knows what it feels like to hurt. She's been there. However, she knows firsthand what a difference Jesus can make in a "less than perfect" life.   "No matter what, if you put God first, you'll realize that He's got an incredible plan and purpose for us," she says. "We should just trust in Him and let things go. He's going to guide us, and He's not going to let us go." [LLN-Online] [Adopt-a-Block] [Newsbriefs][Event Calendar] [Lifestyles] [Juke Box] [Cover to Cover] [Movieguide][Casting the Net] [Viewpoints] [General Info] [Rates & Sizes][Marketplace/Classifieds] [Volunteer Ops] [Writing Guidelines] [Contact Us] [Subscribe][Archives][Good News] [About Us][Links]