Nearly Killed and Fearing the Worst, God Showed Up

Maurice and Karen Carter were looking forward to their weekly bible study on February 16, 2016. 

Maurice recalls, “We was praying that our hearts be open and receptive to hear God’s word through the man of God, which is our pastor.”

Maurice and Karen Carter were looking forward to their weekly Bible study on February 16, 2016.
Karen says, “I was concentrating on heading the Bible study and just meditating on the Lord and His goodness. Just thanking Him for a beautiful day.”

As they drove through a green light in Snellville, Georgia everything changed. An oncoming driver turned left colliding head-on into the driver’s side of the Carter’s vehicle, nearly 55 miles per hour.

Karen recalls, “The sound was like screeching, glass, shatter, just, horrible. I felt like suspended up in air and then settled back in my seat.”

The impact trapped the couple. Maurice’s femur was crushed and Karen’s clavicle snapped. Both were in excruciating pain.

Maurice recalls, “The pain was so to the extreme where it was burning, and it felt like somebody was just taking a hammer and just hitting me in my leg. I was praying that, Lord, I thank You that You kept us, You protected us.”

Pinned inside the car, Maurice managed to call his pastor to ask for prayer.

Maurice says, “I just found the comfort and the encouragement because I knew the body of Christ was interceding on our behalf.”

First responders arrived and were able to free Karen, however, the jaws of life were needed to extract Maurice from the wreckage. Both were rushed to the trauma center where Karen was treated and released for a later surgery. Maurice’s injury was much more critical. Orthopedic surgeon Dr. William Min assessed his injuries.

Dr. Min says, “Femur fractures can potentially be fatal because of the fact that they can lead to blood loss. Anytime you have to do anything invasively into the leg where you’re dealing with surgery, you’re dealing with applying different implants into the leg to hold the leg together, there’s always a risk that something catastrophic can happen, and then that can then lead to a limb loss situation.”

Karen shares, “I was concerned there could have been a possibility of a loss of a limb and, you know, how that would impact his livelihood. My prayers to God were to intervene so that healing could take place for my husband to recover in your timing and allow him to be able to walk again.”

The next day, Maurice underwent surgery where doctors inserted metal rods to stabilize his leg and save it.

Before surgery, Dr. Min prayed with Maurice.

Dr. Min says, “The Lord is in the center of it all. He’s the ultimate healer and that we are asking for His wisdom and His guidance through this process.”

Maurice says, “To know that my doctor was a praying doctor, that gave me such a peace to know that I knew that God was in control.”

Maurice’s surgery was a success, however he still had a long road to recovery. He spent six days in the hospital, where he began therapy to learn how to walk again.

Maurice shares, “My prayer to God was to ask Him for strength, ask Him for the ability to do it. And His word reminds that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.”

Karen says, “We held onto our hope and our faith in knowing that God was gonna bring him through.”

Dr. Min says, “He obviously was in pain from the injury and physically he was slow, but at the same time that I felt that his spirits and I also felt that his faith were very strong and kept pressing him forward.”

The following week, Karen underwent surgery to repair her clavical and returned home shortly after. She and Maurice attended outpatient therapy three times a week to regain strength and mobility.

Dr. Min says, “What particularly surprised me with Maurice and Karen in terms of their recovery was how well they met the challenges. I felt that their faith was rooted very deeply in the Lord, and I think that that helped the recovery in those regards very, very well.”

For months, they fought through pain, therapy, and mounting bills. The driver of the other car sustained no injuries. His insurance paid a small settlement that didn’t cover their medical bills. Overwhelmed by debt, they filed for bankruptcy. Unable to work, the couple turned to prayer.

Karen shares, “We were praying that God would provide a way and He did. Both our church family and my coworkers brought food and provided meals for us several months of it. Our neighbor stepped in and she did pay for our auto insurance, so we were grateful for her.”

After a year of recovery, Maurice regained full mobility and returned to work. Karen also regained full use of her arm.

Karen says, “Every time I see him moving, I’m so grateful and elated in knowing that God did it, God did it. To His glory.”

Maurice says, “To be able to walk again, it was just such a joy. I consider us to be a testimony of the faithfulness of God.”

Dr. Min says, “For them to be able to stand and walk and be able to regain their life, I think is a miracle.”
The Carters believe when you connect to God through prayer He will bring you through anything life brings.

Karen shares, “Prayer is so important. It is the key to life. With anybody encountering situations in life, hold on to hope and build your faith in Christ Jesus, being the focal point, because God is the source and the only way to get you through.”

Maurice says, “Prayer is so vital to be able to go through when you’re going through a challenging situation to trust God because you need the prayers of so many saints in the body of Christ. The life I’m living today is not only because of prayer, it’s because of God answering prayers for His will and His purpose to be done.”