When one is being evaluated to become a kidney donor, you have the opportunity to meet a lot of new friends, surgeons, nephrologists, psychiatrists, all kinds of people.
During the process, someone, if not more than one, is going to sit with you and ask this question, “Do you understand the value of that which you are considering giving away cannot be measured?”
You cannot place a value on such a gift.
Why?
Because a kidney, or any other major organ being donated is not what you are giving away.
The organ’s value, measured or not, is incidental.
The true gift that cannot be measured in terms of value, is hope.
I have heard medical professionals say that after one’s heart stops beating, and one stops breathing, and one’s blood stops flowing, and there is no brain activity…after all that, it is only then that the only thing left is hope. When someone dying gives up hope, there is nothing that can save them.”
Hope is the last thing we give up in this life.
Therefore, the value of hope cannot be determined.
We give stuff away all the time, all with some type of intrinsic value.
Yet we have within us, something so precious and so treasured that a value cannot be placed upon it.
Compare the value of gold against hope.
Will gold keep you alive?
No, but hope will.
Weighing out the value of the yen, the euro or the dollar?
Will any of these keep you alive?
No, but hope will.
When you have hope, there is not a mountain, valley, disease, economic disaster, or any other devastating setback that cannot be overcome..
Someone in your life, in the very near future, is going to need hope.
Give it to them.
Give them hope.
However it is needed.
“Where hope grows, miracles blossom.” Elma Rae
“You will have courage because you will have hope. You will take your time and rest in safety. You will lie down unafraid, and many will look to you for help.” Job 11:18-19
Thank you John for these words and no truer words were ever spoken. Allen and I are still totally humbled at the precious gift Carrie Ann and Dan are giving us. We have already become close friends and look forward to sharing many wonderful memories with the Lyons family. We are not worthy but are so very very thankful.
How does one say thank you to a John Hembree or a Carrie Ann Hawes Lyons?? Words cannot express the gratitude, but I am not sure that words are needed. I believe people such as these look forward to the day that they will stand before our Creator and Father God and they will hear, “well done, my good and faithful servant.”
There is a growing club at Glen Haven Baptist Church. It now includes, Angel Goodine, Sonny Hankins, Mike Edwards, Andrew Peacock, David Edwards, Carrie Ann Lyons, Al Sheneman.
And there are others trying to get in.
Would it not be the coolest thing for God to use this club and it’s growing membership as a testament that the Body of Christ still flourishes together and meets the needs of the other members as in the early church.
To be in such a group of people is, nothing less than humbling.
Let’s find that fifth kidney!
I have the pleasure of calling Carrie Ann “friend.” She has been my small group Bible Study leader on several occasions and I’m always in awe of her walk with the Lord. She inspires others to have that closer walk and to be obedient no matter what God calls us to do–even if it means giving a kidney. I think all of us have found ourselves in a place where only hope and our faith has pulled us through. You are absolutely right in that to the Christian, even death cannot defeat hope. Thank you for your blog, John. I always enjoy reading your words.