The day we heard the word “cancer”, our world felt shattered. We held tightly our 23-month-old daughter, Holland, as we sat in shock and disbelief. Our joyful, happy, blue-eyed baby was sick. Very sick. The 48 hours that followed were a blur…a mixture of grief and tears, all while making rapid and hard decisions. We were scared, and we were hurting. But within hours of Holland’s diagnosis…..there you were—the Church. Texting, calling, and praying around the clock. What our family witnessed in the months that followed was stunning.
We were cared for in the most tender and loving way that radiated Jesus to us in our hardest moments. We didn’t cook a meal for eight months straight because our church family just kept showing up with more food. When we arrived home from the hospital, our fridge was stocked, and sticky notes penned with Scripture filled our home. Time after time, our church family prayed in the hospital’s parking lot, just so they could be near us as they called on Jesus for a miracle. Friends (every one of them from a relationship we formed in this House) kept our younger daughter while we took Holland for weekly chemo appointments. No one expected anything in return; they simply served us, loved us, cried with us, and cared for us.
I could fill page upon page recounting the ways our family was met with kindness during our daughter’s journey with cancer. But mostly, our church family was there. They were present. They pursued us and called on Jesus with us, and that’s what family does. They celebrate on the mountain, and they cling tight when the valley seems dark. Today, Holland shows no evidence of cancer in her body, and you’ll find her every week in bloom— laughing, playing and thriving!
We’ve witnessed a complete miracle that only Jesus could do. Thank you for being family. For being generous people who have helped make church so much more than a building. Whether we know each other personally or not, you are a part of our story. Your generosity has helped create a place for people to be known, cared for and connected.
We are forever grateful, Jeremy & Emily Draa
The Church is alive and growing stronger
Above + Beyond
Above + Beyond is the opportunity as a House to bring a financial gift above what we normally give so that our House can step into a new season of belief and generosity beyond where we normally could go. Click below to learn more.
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