Couple learns what it’s like to be on receiving end
The kindness of family and friends helped Karen and James Coffey during a very challenging time in their lives.
“You know, all of our lives we’ve given. Never been on the receiving end. Didn’t know what it was like. I’ve learned now why I give. Being on the receiving end, you understand what people go through. I don’t think I could have ever really understood it before this.
“And I don’t think I understood pain until I’ve seen the suffering she’s gone through. I thought I knew about cancer, but I didn’t really know about cancer. And I thought I knew how gracious people were, but I’ve just learned a new lesson of how gracious and how merciful people can be.”
“The real takeaway for me is that Baytown is full of good people. Good-to-the-bone people. And they’re so giving. I think we have a lot of connections from living here 48 years. But you know, I prefer to think that it’s God’s people taking care of God’s people. If we could replicate that, we wouldn’t have any need. During all of this, I’ve told James several times that I can’t wait to get well so I can give to others the way people have given to me.”
— James and Karen Coffey
They credit an outpouring of financial and emotional support for helping them through the past two years, during which Karen has dealt with breast cancer and a badly broken leg. While recovering, they also had to live out of a hotel room for five months because of a construction project at home.
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