Lynn hit an all-time low. She was driving home from work feeling helpless and depressed over the mess her life was in. She was in the big city by herself, working full-time, supporting her three-year-old and infant daughters, and grieving over the loss of her other daughter. She kept replaying recent events in her mind. She would never forget the day just a few weeks ago when she got home from work, and Brad was gone—gone with her two little girls. He had packed up their girls and moved back to their hometown to stay with his parents.
“What happened to us?” She was thinking. She and Brad had married right out of high school and started a family. Everything was great until Aleece was born—their precious little Aleece who had succumbed to a heart defect just fifteen hours after birth.
The pain was too much. She and Brad were on a different wavelength with their grief, and Lynn felt isolated and alone. Their relationship deteriorated. To add to the stress, they moved from their familiar town of Margaretville, New York, where they had both grown up, to the city of Albany.
And now she was driving home to an empty apartment. “I just want to move somewhere far away, to change my name and start over,” she thought as tears streamed down her face.
But God spoke to her. As she was driving home that night, she heard His audible voice say, “You have to go back and make this right because you are on the path to hell.”
Lynn had felt for a while God was trying to get her attention, but she had ignored him. Now she was ready to listen. She turned the car around and drove two hours to Margaretville, feeling hopeful for the first time in months. She pulled into her in-law’s driveway in the middle of the night, got out of her car, and pounded on Brad’s bedroom window. Brad came out and agreed to talk. By the end of the conversation, they were committed to getting back together and making it work. They both decided they would be all in, and, moving forward, they would be open and communicate with one another.
Lynn transferred her job back to the Margaretville area, and they reunited as a family. The couple experienced God’s blessings right away. As they went on with raising their children and adding to their family, they began reading their Bible and praying together.
The next Fourth of July, the Keators had a garage sale. An older gentleman came, bought a few items, and hung around to chat. He asked the names of their children. When they told him their children were named Rebeka, Sarah, and Isaiah, he asked if they were Christians.
Brad answered, “Sort of.”
The man then introduced himself as Pastor Dick Price and invited them to attend the small church which met in his home.
“Sure, we’ll stop by sometime,” was their response.
Pastor Price didn’t wait for the Keators to stop by; he called that afternoon and asked if he and his wife could drop in and visit them.
Brad said, “Of course,” then hung up the phone and said to Lynn, “I hope he’s not coming over to preach to us.”
“What do you expect? He’s a pastor,” she said.
They quickly scrambled to get their house in order. Lynn stuffed the dirty dishes in the oven, then scooped up all the dirty clothes and threw them in the shower. Soon there was a knock at the door, and Lynn and Brad welcomed the Prices into their home. By the end of the evening, Pastor Price led Brad to the Lord, and Lynn rededicated her life.
The Keators began attending Pastor Price’s church and continued for the next year. They grew personally and spiritually under his Bible teaching, but then they switched to Catskill Mountain Christian Center because they wanted a church that offered children’s programs. The Keators were discipled in their new church and became involved in youth ministries. It was a perfect fit for them because they were known to be the fun-loving, adventurous couple.
When their children became teenagers, Brad and Lynn prayed about a job change for Brad so he could be home more. Someone from their church offered him a job at his non-profit company, so Brad left his state job and accepted the position. The organization began to experience financial challenges, and Brad went without a paycheck for five weeks. A friend from church gave him $1000 to help with their needs. Brad felt humiliated. He was trying hard to follow God and to care for his family. “Why have you reduced me to charity?” he cried out to God.
God’s answer surprised Brad and changed the trajectory of their lives. “Because I want you to be a pastor,” is the answer he received.
Brad and his pastor started praying for an opportunity to plant a church. Lynn wasn’t so sure. “A pastor? I never once dreamed of being a pastor’s wife. I just didn’t think I had the right personality for it.”
But God answered their prayer in an unexpected way. Their pastor was asked to preach at a funeral in Norwich, New York, a ninety-minute drive from Margaretville. The young man, Anthony, who had asked the pastor to preach, showed up the next week for the Sunday service at Catskill Mountain Christian Center. God stirred in his heart, and he responded to an invitation to come to an outreach the next Sunday. He gave his life to the Lord that night.
Anthony became the connection for the Keators to plant a church in Norwich. They began with a Bible study in Anthony’s home, then added a Sunday service. They were driving ninety miles each way twice a week. During this time, Brad and Lynn became ordained by their church. They finally took the leap of faith, rented a house in Norwich, and moved into the community. Chenango Christian Church was born.
God blessed their efforts, and they fell into a rhythm with Brad as the senior pastor and Lynn as his assistant. God worked in Lynn’s heart and helped shed her insecurities in her role as pastor’s wife. “Doing a church plant allowed me to become comfortable and confident in the person God created me to be.” It took her a while to realize that her personality was perfect for the ministry he had for her.
Fast forward ten years. Brad and Lynn had full, busy lives. Chenango Christian Church was thriving, with an average attendance of 80 to 100 per week. The Keator family had grown to include bonus children and grandchildren, and Lynn had settled into a full-time state job. Then, amid the challenges brought on by COVID-19, God led them into a whole new adventure.
“You just never know what God is going to do next,” Lynn said. What started as a tragedy for the Keators ended up being a blessing. “Brad had a stroke,” Lynn said, “and was diagnosed with diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.”
The Keators knew Brad had to make drastic changes. They reached out to a friend of theirs who was a health coach. Three days into his new health program, Lynn saw Brad eating a chocolate mint bar. “I am embarrassed to admit that this was why I joined the program, but I wanted to eat those bars, too.”
Three weeks later, Brad had lost twenty pounds, and Lynn had lost fifteen. “But the best part is that we felt better than we had in years. We had energy again!” Lynn said. Friends asked her about the program, so Lynn agreed to become a health coach and take them on as clients. “I only intended to do this to pay for my program, and I was going to quit as soon as I was done.” But more and more people contacted her and asked her to take them on as clients. For a while, Lynn felt conflicted. “How does this fit in with my ministry and building up the kingdom of God?” she thought.
After about six months, Lynn realized this was an opportunity from God, and she eventually quit her state job. “I love mentoring people,” she said, “and I love that I can share my faith and pray with my clients,” she said.
Lynn’s new job as a health coach has given her more time to spend with her family, and it has led to her personal growth. Lynn explained when she first started, she had a severe fear of flying. She had to fly to Phoenix, Arizona, to participate in her company’s convention. With Brad by her side and many people praying for her, Lynn boarded the plane, reciting, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:17). She had a great time and was eager to fly to the convention the next year.
Brad lost a total of 45 pounds on the program, and Lynn lost 35. They have both kept the weight off for three years and continue to enjoy good health. To date, Lynn has mentored 156 people, many with incredible success stories. Lynn is currently mentoring 30 people, as well as overseeing six other health coaches.
All those years ago, when God spoke to Lynn, she had no idea the blessings God would pour out into her life, her marriage, and her family due to her one step of obedience. She is grateful she listened to God that night so long ago and turned her car around.
Connect with Lynn and Brad through Chenango Christian Church's Facebook page by clicking here or by emailing B.keator@gmail.com
Connect with Lynn as a health coach through her Facebook page by clicking here or by emailing coachlynnkeator@gmail.com.
Background image from suhjung from Pixabay