Reflection

     So, we recently got some pictures back that we had taken of Kalli and I chose one to be the desktop on my computer.  It is a close up of her sweet face and I noticed that in her beautiful eyes you can see a reflection of the people that were standing there when the picture was taken, two of them being her daddy and me.  It made me think about how she will be a reflection of us and how we, as Christians, are a reflection of Christ. 

     As her parents, it is our responsibility to help guide her and mold her into the person that she should be, but most importantly we have the responsibility of teaching her about God and what He has done for us.  I pray often that Kalli will completely fall in love with God and follow the path He has chosen for her.  

     As you know, I recently met my donor family.  I was going to blog about it, but haven’t because there really are no words to describe how that day and experience felt, but when I think about reflections my mind goes to Anthony Paul, my donor.  I can’t help but think about how he grew to become the young man that he was.  I know that his family was proud of him, especially his mother, and I know that he wouldn’t have been the wonderful person that he was without her guidance.  His mother told me that he was a Christian, and also that it was his decision to donate his organs.  I can’t think of a better way to reflect the giving spirit of Christ, than the gift that Anthony Paul gave to me and many others.  

     This weekend we celebrate the resurrection of Christ, and I find myself thinking about my reflection of Him to the world.  He is the best gift that was ever given to us.  He made the ultimate sacrifice for us all when He died for our sins.  So, I have to stop and ask myself if just as I can see Preston and myself in the reflection of Kalli’s eyes, can others see the reflection of Christ in my life?

    

A Friday Like No Other

This Friday will be like no other, because this Friday I will finally get to meet the family of my organ donor.  This family has been a part of my life since June 11, 2006 and I have never met them.  That day in their life was a time of tragedy and loss, and yet they chose to give to someone else. I have so many thoughts running through my head about this meeting, but the main thing is I want them to know what an amazing gift they gave me.  I wouldn’t be here without the decision they made to donate.   God used them to allow me to have another chance at life and I will forever be thankful for them.  

I know that God will be a part of the meeting on Friday, just as He was there with them when they made the decision to donate and He was there with me in the operating room.  The only thing I can say for sure about Friday is that it will be emotional.  I pray that it will go smoothly and that God will give me the words to convey my gratitude to this special family. I look forward to learning about the boy who will always be a part of my life.  

If you don’t mind, please say a prayer for all of us involved in the meeting on Friday, and if you aren’t an organ donor, please take the time to sign up.  April is Donate Life month, so it would be a great time to make the choice that could change someone’s life forever.  Every 11 minutes another name is added to the national transplant waiting list, as someone who has been on that list I am asking you to please sign up to be a donor.  All you have to do is visit every11minutes.org and complete a simple form.  Thank you in advance for making the decision to donate.   

Each Day is a Gift

I am a worrier (I know I shouldn’t be, Preston reminds me of that all the time, but I'm still working on it), and Thursday night I was particularly stressed about something I was going to face on Friday when Jeremiah 29:11 came to mind.  It says “ ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’ ”  Then, Friday morning, I was flipping through my Bible and saw some verses I had underlined long ago.  It was Philippians 4:6-7 which says “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  This started me thinking that no matter what I was facing it would be a day completely controlled by God and that gave me a peace and calm to face the day.  

The sermon at church on Sunday, along with the Lord’s reminders on Thursday and Friday, led me to think about what we face everyday, be it good or bad.  Often we wonder why things happen the way they do and we forget that everyday is a gift no matter if it is a good or bad day.  I have been asked numerous times for various reasons in the last few years what is my life expectancy now that I have had a transplant.  Most of the time my response is that no one really knows because they haven’t been doing my particular type of transplant that long.  Really, my response should be something more along the lines of “my life expectancy is completely up to God.”  Being asked this question so many times can start to get to you after a while, but if we are honest no one really knows how long they have and we should all be thankful for each and every day that we are given.  We should even be thankful for the days that everything seems to go wrong.  Why do any of us live as long as we do?  Because God has a reason and purpose for us and when we are finished doing what He sent us here for, our work on earth will be done.  Do I know what all my reasons and purposes for being here are?  No.  Will I ever?  Probably not.  Is that okay with me?  Yes.  Why?  Because each day is a gift and no matter how many days any of us are given we can still fulfill God’s purpose for our life.   

Tomorrow I have an appointment at a doctor’s office where most of the people they treat are cancer patients.  I have been in a room with many of these people when we were all hooked to IVs getting treatments.  The difference, they are getting cancer treatments and I am just there to get iron.  Often there are patients who are so happy and friendly and you can tell they have God in their lives.  They are taking one day at a time and treating each day as a gift.  I want people to see this in me.  I can’t say I never complain, because I do, but I hope that people can tell that I am thankful for each day the Lord gives me.  I hope that the next time that I have a really bad day or you have a really bad day we can remember to stop and be thankful for that day no matter what has happened, because even though it might not feel like it, each day, good or bad, is a gift. 

Here Goes

     So, I thought I would give this whole blogging thing a try. It seems that I know more and more people that are using it and it seems like fun, so here it is.  I make no promises about how often I will do this.  Some days I am doing good just to remember my name and on those days, I seriously doubt any blogging will be taking place.  But, anyway, I'll give it a whirl.
     You may wonder what I will talk about on here, and I'll be honest, I don't know.  It will probably mainly contain whatever random topic comes to me at that moment, and since my husband says I jump from topic to topic in a matter of seconds it could be fairly entertaining sometimes.  I usually know how I jumped from one topic to the other, but I often lose him somewhere during the trip.  Oh well.
     Anyway, the most prevalent thing on my mind today has been that I will get the chance to meet the mother and possibly some other members of my donor's family sometime in March.  For those who don't know me well; I will be five years post transplant in June, so this is a big deal and the thought of it is overwhelming. These are the thoughts that led me to the title Made By The Master.
     My family and I sometimes joke about me being "made" a few times since I have had two transplants, but the truth is we are all constantly being molded by the Lord and He is the Maker and Master of it all.  I am so thankful that He "made" me physically complete again through a transplant.  I am blessed far beyond anything I deserve.  I hope and pray for the words to say to my donor family when I meet them.  No words will ever be able to express my gratitude for their decision and gift.  Until next time, I hope you will pray for me to have the right words to share with this very special family.