Tonight I want to share a story with you. It is inspired by events over the weekend:
My stepbrother received a call Saturday night, and 24 hours later was in surgery to receive a desperately needed and long-awaited kidney transplant. The heartbreak and loss of one family, led to a miracle for a father of 10-year-old twins. We are so grateful, but we also send our prayers to the family who suffered the loss.
So I’ve been thinking about this story:
About 25 years ago I befriended neighbors who had just adopted a little 18-month-old girl out of the foster system. Their whole life shifted, to bring this little lost girl into their life. A few years later the mother learned that she had heart failure, and would need a heart transplant to live. For the sake of her daughter, she got on the list. A few years later…a miracle…she was matched with a heart.
After she recovered from the transplant and grew stronger, she had the urge to go to the local pool and start swimming. She found it made her feel better, so she began to swim laps and laps, pushing herself to go further.
She was noticed. She was invited to go to the Transplant Olympics…and she won Gold Medals!
The parents of the boy who had died, and donated the heart, came to the games. After she climbed out of the pool and received her medals, they came over to meet her for the first time. They fell into her arms weeping, as they explained that their son had been a champion swimmer, and the captain of the high school swim team. They could see him still swimming in the pool, when they saw her win those gold medals. They knew that a part of him lived on, in her.
My friend was able to live long enough to see her daughter graduate from high school. I will never forget her. And because of her I am signed up to be an organ donor.
Tonight I send out prayers for comfort and peace to all the families who have lost a loved one, and saved others through organ donation. And to all of you still waiting for your transplant, I wish you a perfect match, healing and blessings as God wills.
eQuilter is sponsoring a free (by donation) screening of The Condor and The Eagle on Feb 21. Please see details and registration link on our blog. If you have an interest in how indigenous people are affected by pipelines and mining on their lands, you’ll want to see this one.
with hope for the future…
Luana and Paul
Online Lecture Calendar: Go to Blog for registration links.
Feb 13 – Canadian Quilters Association – “Intl Quilt Trends” – registration open now to CQA members – tickets open to public Feb 8.
Feb 21 – The Condor & The Eagle – REGISTER HERE – Film Screening by donation
Early March – SAQA Color – Interview with Martha Sielman
