I have a really special friend. Her name is Tee.
Tee has a really special sister. Her name is Marcia.
Marcia is a really special lady. I met her early this year.
She smiles all the time. And laughs. And has a voice that sounds like a happy song.
But Marcia has been sick. Very sick.
She needed a kidney.
Tee has a really special friend too.
ME.
No, just kidding.
Tee’s really special friend is Sarah.
And Tee is Sarah’s really special friend.
I met Sarah last month.
She was cooking a dinner for over a hundred people to help raise money for a really special organization that fights human trafficking in Baltimore, MD. Sarah is really humble. And hard working. And makes you feel right at home as soon as you meet her.
For years Tee and Sarah have walked together. Miles. Early in the morning. In the dark.
Like most really special friends, they love each other.
Since Sarah loves Tee, she wanted to help Marcia.
So Sarah offered to give Marcia her kidney.
That’s a REALLY SPECIAL friend.
Unfortunately, Sarah’s kidney wasn’t a good match for Marcia.
But Sarah is a really special friend, so she decided to give her kidney to a stranger so Marcia would get moved up on the waiting list.
And yesterday two really special ladies were recovering from surgery just down the hall from each other.
Sarah gave her kidney to a stranger who lives in St. Louis.
Marcia received a kidney from a stranger.
And my really special friend Tee waited and prayed and visited her sister and her friend when they came out of surgery.
Tee and Sarah
I have a lot of gifts to give the really special people in my life this Christmas.
A kidney is not one of them.
When I first heard this story, one of my first thoughts was,
“You’re going to give someone your kidney FIVE days before Christmas?! That might mess with your holiday plans a little.”
I thought about what the week before Christmas typically looks like around my house. There’s not enough time to do all that “needs” doing as it is. Forget self-sacrificial, life-saving acts of kindness!
It’s Christmas for goodness’ sake!
But like I said, Sarah loves Tee. And Tee loves Marcia. So Sarah loves Marcia.
A lot.
Love makes people do some really special things.
It’s Christmas.
For goodness’ sake.
The perfect time for self-sacrificial, life-saving acts of kindness.
From Tee last night:
“Marcia’s new kidney is performing beautifully! Thank you, Lord! We will have to watch for rejection, especially on day 2 and 3. Sarah’s surgery went very well, also. She is just down the hall from where we are. We have seen her, and she is as beautiful as ever, just a little crampy and groggy. She woke up with an overwhelming sense of gratitude. Wow!”
Would you please sacrifice a minute in your busy day today and pray for Sarah’s and Marcia’s recovery? Thanks!
And thank you for taking the time to be here. YOU are really special to me!
Beautiful story Kim. Thank you for sharing it. What a great reminder. My biggest problem today was trying to find my cookbook. Wow. I am so blessed and thankful. Merry Christmas to you and your family.