"I expect to pass through life but once. If therefore, there be any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to any fellow being, let me do it now, and not defer or neglect it, as I shall not pass this way again.”
I absolutely love this quote by William Penn. It was first brought to my attention when I arrived at the transplant unit at University of Wisconsin Medical Center when I was undergoing tests to donate one of my kidneys. These words undoubtedly capture the enormity and significance of such a gift. Prior to learning of Angela's need for a kidney, I would NEVER have imagined even considering such a thing; that sort of act of kindness and sacrifice would be for other people. Yet, when personally approached via an email sent out on her behalf, I could not rest, literally for days. It was only when I ceased wrestling, and said yes to be tested, did I have peace. Much of the peace was just due to what I felt at the time was obedience, but trust me when I tell you I was secretly hoping the initial blood test would eliminate me as a possible donor.
Talk about a jaw dropper when the test proved me to be a perfect match! Having the powerful information, what was I going to do now? Me, give one of my kidneys away? And yes, there were friends and family who thought I was crazy and had every reason to talk me out of it, and yes, they tried. Despite my own hesitation and fear, I did not waver. One thing was sure within me, God had made it clear and I would proceed through the truly grueling process of the additional testing that was required.
Yep, you guessed it, I was totally cleared and the surgery was scheduled. Angela and I had been strangers to one another, and now we were friends, sisters in Christ, and were going to share an amazing, truly life changing moment together. The Lord had different plans all along, and he called Angela home before we would meet side by side in the operating room on the day of surgery. She never received my kidney, but praise God she is suffering no more, and for this we are grateful.
Angela's death left me so perplexed, sad and even angry. It wouldn't be long however that God would show up and make very clear the purpose of my part in all of this. The difficult journey I walked in consideration of the donation of my kidney was not necessarily about me, or even about Angela for that matter; and this blog isn't really about organ donation. My journey to donate my kidney was and is about whether or not I was fully surrendered to the voice of God in my life, and whether or not I would be willing to take drastic action when called upon, despite what it may cost me. I was being called to rise above "the talk" and "walk the walk" - for the sake of another, a complete stranger, and for the sake of Jesus Christ, in the face of an enormous challenge. Would I with holy discontent, unshaken by the anxieties of others, unshaken by the nay-sayers, be willing?
You and I are very good at judging; determining what it is others are, or are not, doing well enough or big enough for the kingdom. But when approached and challenged to do something out of the scope of our daily norms and comforts, something that may cost us more than we could fathom we should personally be responsible for......are we WILLING? Or will we run, make excuses, decide it's someone elses job....? Certainly not all of us are called to participate in living donor transplantation, but please pause for a moment, and ask yourself: what is it I am called to? What am I resisting that I know full well God is asking of me? What is it that will not allow me to rest?
When I read the words of William Penn, I am reminded of the heart of Jesus, and I am reminded of his journey to Calvary. We can read in scripture the anguish he experienced in knowing he must go, as well as moments when it was clear he would have rather not. Especially for those of us who know him, we can be ever so thankful that he did go to the cross, and stayed on the cross, and became the sacrifice that spared us eternity apart from him. William Penn did not exist during Jesus' ministry on earth. But William's heart and words describe exactly the heart of Jesus and his ministry when he walked this earth and touched, and changed the lives of people then and continues to do so today!
This holiday season, and every day for the rest of our lives, I challenge each of us to keep our eyes and ears open for every possible opportunity to completely wreck someone with Christ's love through your willingness to rise above the talk, and WALK THE WALK. Matthew 25:40 is the truth of God's word and heart, that in every way supports the heart of William Penn: "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did [or DID NOT do] for me.'
Finally, Mary (the mother of Jesus) was willing, Noah was willing, Moses was willing, Paul was willing, Ruth was willing, the Disciples were willing, Joshua was willing, Abraham was willing. Blake McCloskey of "Tom's Shoes" is willing; Bono is willing, Compassion International is willing, Billy Graham is willing, Corrie Ten boom was willing, Elizabeth Elliot was willing, Baptist Children's Home is willing, every foreign and domestic missionary, living and deceased were and are willing, every living and deceased veteran, and every working soldier today were and are willing, Mother Theresa was willing, CS Lewis was willing, and JESUS WAS AND IS STILL WILLING!
