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Mother’s Day Offering, prayer help family through ‘scary time’
North Carolina Baptist Hospital
April 23, 2012
4 MIN READ TIME

Mother’s Day Offering, prayer help family through ‘scary time’

Mother’s Day Offering, prayer help family through ‘scary time’
North Carolina Baptist Hospital
April 23, 2012

Matt and Jennifer Keever, members of Mt. Herman Baptist Church in Taylorsville, know the impact of the North Carolina Baptist Hospital’s Mother’s Day Offering first hand.

Eight days after the Keever’s daughter, Raeghan, was born she was admitted to Baptist Hospital for heart surgery.

“It was such a scary time in our lives,” Jennifer said.

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Jennifer Keever is thankful for N.C. Baptists and the Mother’s Day Offering. Because of the offering the hospital bills for her daughter Raeghan have been paid in full.

“Seeing Raeghan on a ventilator, we could hardly believe it was happening,” Matt added.

Facing a potential nightmare, they held onto hope that God would spare their child’s life.

Through prayer and the staff at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Raeghan began to recover. Today, she is a healthy 1-year-old.

However, in the midst of the Keever’s gratitude, they were nearly overwhelmed by frightening waves of medical bills.

“We both work, but the bills were coming in leaps and bounds,” Jennifer said. “We trusted that God wouldn’t let us sink, but it was very hard and easy to forget. The worry and stress were there every day.”

The Keever’s “fell between the cracks of assistance and had nowhere to turn,” said Paul Mullen, director of church and community relations at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.

“They were under enormous pressure, with too much to qualify for Medicaid or charity care, but not enough to pay the balance of Raeghan’s hospital bill,” he said. “They are wonderful parents with great faith. They give to their church to help others, but now they needed help.

“I was privileged to write them a letter saying, ‘Your daughter’s hospital bill has been paid by compassionate and mission-minded North Carolina Baptists in the name of Jesus Christ and His love.’”

Through tears of joy Jennifer said, “When we received that letter, all we could do was cry and thank God. This was God’s hand at work seeing us through the trials.”

“This reminded us that God is in every situation,” Matt replied.

Jennifer added, “The Mother’s Day Offering had a great impact on our family. To see God at work, taking care of us, really touched our lives.

“We thank North Carolina Baptists with all our hearts.”

There are many more families whose lives can be changed by the Offering.

“We plan to give and bring Jesus to the lives of others,” Jennifer said.

“It’s a wonderful way to put faith into action.”

The Mother’s Day Offering is an “awesome opportunity” to be a part of what God is doing, said Paul Schronce, pastor of the church where the Keever’s are members.

“God is working, and He is using North Carolina Baptists to change hearts and lives.”

Schronce confirmed that some who are helped by the Mother’s Day Offering don’t even know God.

“When they learn that North Carolina Baptists care about them, and Jesus cares about them, it opens the door for them to say, ‘God is real, and He does love me,’” he said. “Our gifts change the lives of people who are in need, and maybe even their eternity.”

Mullen added, “We are very grateful on behalf of hundreds of hurting patients and families.

“Our gifts, as North Carolina Baptists, draw them closer to Christ in life-changing gratitude. Please pray for God to be at work through the Mother’s Day Offering. Please give generously and be a messenger of His love.”

The Keever’s story can be seen at mothersdayoffering.org.

Mother’s Day Offering materials were mailed to every N.C. Baptist church. They can be obtained by calling (336) 716-3027 or email [email protected].

(EDITOR’S NOTE – Milton A. Hollifield Jr., the executive director-treasurer of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, shares his view.)