A Donation of Life — iWork4Him
I got to do the coolest thing on December 10, 2018 – I had the incredible privilege of donating one of my kidneys to my friend Bill. It’s a long story and has been covered in a previous blog and a few shows, but the point I want to get across is that this kidney shortage is a serious thing. About a year ago, Joe Carrol from BLE in San Antonio, TX, told me about his friend Larry needing a kidney. Joe had tried to get qualified, but his kidneys are not able to be shared for medical reasons. Martha and I offered to do a show for Larry so that he could share it with potential donors and see if he could round up a new kidney to replace his failing ones. We did the show, and many people stepped up to get tested, and one made it all the way to the finish line. Larry’s lifesaving surgery will hopefully be scheduled in the next couple of months.
You may be wondering, Jim, why are you talking about kidneys? Two reasons. First, someone you know may need a new kidney to continue living, and you’ve got an extra! But the bigger reason is that Martha and I have been given a platform, and we want to use it to help people find life – through faith, and yes, sometimes through a kidney.
The incredible thing is that you, too, have been given a platform: your workplace. Your skills and position open the door to amazing conversations that no pastor or church would ever be able to have. You have been given the gift of life in Jesus, and you can share that unique gift through thoughtful, loving conversation. Sure, the conversation may cost you something, maybe even a friend, but it may also lead to someone gaining a whole new eternal life because of your generosity and willingness to share.
Maybe you are like me, you are generous, and you are loving, but you always looked at your work as second class compared to being a pastor or missionary. That lie kept me quiet in my faith and alienated many who needed to meet Jesus. My work is not second class, not when I was selling insurance and not when I was selling used cars. My work was God’s work, and He wanted me to be a blessing to everyone around me, even if they don’t believe that Jesus died for them.
Maybe you can donate a kidney, and that will lengthen someone’s earthly life (check out the link below for more information). Regardless, you can share a Jesus story that will extend their life forever. Pretty awesome.
Jim
