A Humbling Encounter: The Selfless Spirit of a Brother in Christ

Hey everyone,

I just wanted to share a deeply humbling experience I had after church this morning. One of my brothers in Christ—who is in as bad or worse shape than I am most days—stopped and asked me about the requirements to donate a kidney, or at least to explore the possibility. Now, I know that sounds extraordinary, but what you might not realize is that my brother Larry is in his 80s, has been in poor health off and on for the last 6-8 years, and is currently living in a nursing home. Yet, he felt led to ask me about this. The fact that someone going through so much is still ready to offer up even more, if he can, is incredibly humbling to me.

I explained to him that the criteria for being a donor are very strict. Over the last three years, I've had at least five people try to sign up to donate for me, and each one has been turned down for various reasons: diabetes, liver conditions, histories of various diseases that disqualify people from the list. Part of me is very glad that IU Medicine is so picky—it ensures safety—but on the other hand, I wish they weren't quite so stringent.

One of my friends was the very first to try donating three years ago, when I first went on the list, and he's still upset to this day that he couldn't be approved as a donor for me. He just couldn't believe it, especially since he and I are both type 2 diabetics, which to him made us more compatible. And so what if he drinks a little bit? That just means he flushes those kidneys on a regular basis! LOL. God love you, Randy.

I am blessed with so many people in my life who care and pray for me on a daily basis. God has blessed me more than I can count. One of these days, I will have a donor, whether through a volunteer or by reaching the top of the list.

Know that I covet those prayers and appreciate them more than I can ever thank those of you who have me on your list.

Here's the link to IU Med transplant if you feel lead to see if you might be a match to donate.

In faith and gratitude,

Dave Mc  

The Greater Love – Lessons from a Willing Heart

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Today, I want to draw our hearts to a story that echoes the profound truths of Scripture—a tale of selfless love and sacrifice that reminds us of the call to put others before ourselves. Let me share with you a personal encounter that unfolded after church this Sunday morning. A dear brother in Christ, Larry, approached me with a question that stopped me in my tracks: What are the requirements to donate a kidney? Now, Larry is in his 80s, frail from years of health struggles, and residing in a nursing home. Yet, in his weakness, he felt led by the Spirit to offer what little he has left—not out of abundance, but out of a heart overflowing with compassion for my own need.

This moment humbles me deeply, for it mirrors the sacrificial love we see woven throughout God's Word. Let us turn to John 15:13, where Jesus Himself declares, "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends." Larry's willingness to explore giving a part of himself, despite his own suffering, embodies this greater love. He isn't laying down his life in the ultimate sense, but his readiness to endure further hardship for another's sake reflects the Christ-like spirit of self-denial. Just as Jesus laid down His life for us—not when we were strong and deserving, but when we were weak and in sin (Romans 5:8)—Larry's gesture challenges us: Are we willing to offer our "kidneys," our time, our resources, even when we feel we have nothing left to give?

Consider, too, the parable of the widow's mite in Mark 12:41-44. Jesus watches as the wealthy give from their surplus, but He praises the poor widow who gives her last two coins—all she had to live on. Larry, like that widow, is not giving from excess; his health is depleted, his days are numbered, yet he offers more. In a world that values strength and self-preservation, Scripture calls us to Philippians 2:3-4: "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others." My friends who have tried to donate, only to be turned away by strict medical criteria, also live this out—their disappointment stems not from rejection, but from a desire to serve that was thwarted.

But here's the hope in this story: God's blessings abound even in waiting. As I shared with Larry, I've been sustained by prayers and care from so many, reminding me of James 5:16: "The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." Whether a donor comes through a volunteer like Larry or through the transplant list, we trust in God's timing, as Proverbs 3:5-6 urges: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."

Beloved, let this humble encounter stir us. In our own trials—be they health, loss, or hardship—may we not turn inward but outward, offering what we can to lift others. For in giving, we receive; in sacrificing, we find the fullness of Christ's love. Let us pray for one another, covet those intercessions, and live as vessels of God's grace.

Amen.

DMMC 8-17-25