Blood Donation

In her book Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, Anne Lamott recounts a story told by Jack Kornfield of the Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, CA. it’s about an eight-year-old boy whose younger sister was dying of leukemia. He was told that without a blood transfusion she would die. His parents explained to him that his blood was probably compatible with hers and, if so, he would be the blood donor. They asked him if they could test his blood. He said, “Sure.” They did and learned it was a good match. They asked if he would donate to his sister a pint of his blood because it could be her only chance of living. He said he would have to think about it overnight. The next day he went to his parents and said he was willing to donate the blood. So they took him to the hospital where he was placed on a gurney beside his six-year-old sister. Both of them were hooked up to IV’s. A nurse withdrew a pint of blood from the boy, which was then eventually transferred to his sister’s IV. The boy lay on his gurney in silence while the blood dripped into his sister, until the doctor came over to see how he was doing. Then the boy opened his eyes and asked, “How soon until I start to die?”

Good Works in Secret

Robert E. Boertien (Oregon, USA) writes (in an Upper Room devotional):

"I volunteer with an organization that provides meals to people in need. One day when I delivered a meal to Tom, I noticed a repairman approaching the home next door.

I learned that Tom had secretly paid to have his neighbor’s broken hot water heater replaced, knowing they were unemployed, had young children, and had no funds to cover such a cost. I asked Tom why he didn’t tell the family about his generous act, and he replied, “Because I want the credit to go to the Lord, not me.”

Tom has a variety of health issues and lives with few amenities. He has a strong and abiding faith in Jesus Christ. For me, Tom’s kind act and humility are perfect examples of what it means to be a Christian."

November 30, 2020: https://www.upperroom.org/devotionals/en-2020-11-30