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Jesus says: If your first concern is to look after yourself, you'll never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to me, you'll find both yourself and me. "We are intimately linked in this harvest work. Anyone who accepts what you do, accepts me, the One who sent you. Anyone who accepts what I do accepts my Father, who sent me. Accepting a messenger of God is as good as being God's messenger. Accepting someone's help is as good as giving someone help. This is a large work I've called you into, but don't be overwhelmed by it. It's best to start small. Give a cool cup of water to someone who is thirsty, for instance. The smallest act of giving or receiving makes you a true apprentice. You won't lose out on a thing."
Matthew 10:39-42 The Message Translation
God promises us that the smallest act of giving or receiving makes us true apprentices. We won’t lose out on a thing.
Our giving: Reflect upon one way in which you gave space for someone else to be blessed by accepting someone’s help this past week.
Does God keep God’s promises? We invite you to read later this week the example of God’s promise fulfilled found on the reverse side and to take the challenge we offer.
Kailee Wells, A Special Story on Giving:
Eight year-old Kailee Wells needed a bone-marrow transplant. She was diagnosed with a severe case of aplastic anemia, which meant that her bone marrow was not producing the blood cells or platelets her body needed to naturally fight infection. Her doctor gave her a 15% chance of survival; Kailee was only 5 years old at the time.
Kailee’s story starts with her parents, Linda and Owen Wells, who adopted her as a baby from China. Linda and Owen had already raised three biological children in Albuquerque, New Mexico and felt the need to extend their love to another child in need. Understandably, the Wells were very angry about the diagnosis, so they immediately put their energy into researching doctors and hospitals across the USA.
They received a call from Dr. David Margolis, who practiced in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. After a heart to heart discussion with Dr. Margolis, Linda and Owen believed his words that he will do the best for Kailee, as if she were one of his kids. Linda, Owen and Kailee moved in order to be closer to Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, where Dr. Margolis can give Kailee the medical attention she requires.
There are 4.5 million people registered in this country’s National Marrow Donor Program; unfortunately, none was a match for Kailee. Naturally, the best match is a biological relative, and the miracle Linda and Owen were hoping for was complicated by the fact that they had no idea who Kailee’s birth parents were. Linda contacted the Red Cross, and made two trips to Beijing to spread Kailee’s need for a bone marrow transplant. In desperation, they tried one transplant with a less than perfect match and it failed.
The Wells were ready for another trip back to China when they received a call from Dr. Margolis. Miraculously, a colleague had found a donor for Kailee. Wang Lin, a 28 year-old Chinese doctor, turned out to be an almost-perfect match for Kailee. Wang Lin traveled to Beijing in mid-October to undergo his part of the procedure. He is also wishing for a miracle that his blood cells “can be like a seed of hope.”
In consideration of the physically demanding transplant surgery, Linda told Kailee that she could have another transplant only if she (Kailee) really wanted to. Kailee’s response: “I’m ready. Let’s go.”
The donation from Wang Lin was collected and hand-carried back to the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. Kailee’s bone marrow transplant surgery was a success. It may be weeks or months before we know whether her body will accept or reject the transplant, but for now, Dr. Margolis thinks Kailee has a 50 to 70% chance of survival, giving us all hope.
Summarized from: CBSNews.com “A Mother’s Love Finds Marrow Donor”
1 http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/11/10/earlyshow/health/main1032893.shtml
Your challenge: Next week is Stewardship Commitment Sunday. In the coming week, pray about your giving to Trinity Church. Whether you give 10% of your gross income (the biblical tithe) or not, consider increasing your planned gift by a small increment of 10%. If making a $1,000 additional commitment to help pay off the handicap ramp loan represents a small next step for you, consider taking it. Give thanks to God for the opportunity to find God in taking just a small step away from self-concern.
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