JANUARY 2007
Dear Members and Friends of
The bag connected to my
arm by a needle and plastic tube filled quickly. “Record speed,” said the technician as she made small talk. “You’ll be out of here in no time.”
I was donating blood to
the American Red Cross. Christmas would
soon be here and blood was in short supply.
As we continued to talk, she learned that I was a Lutheran
pastor, and I learned that she wasn’t “into the church thing.” She also told me that her mother and
grandmother were Christian, but that she had “never gotten into it.”
But she was interested.
She asked several questions. It seems
her biggest fear and concern was “where do I start?” I encourage her, that since Christmas was just a couple days
away, she start by attending Christmas Eve services. I told her that was a very good place to start because that was
when God sent His Son to start His life on earth as our Savior from sin. She thought that was a good idea and that
she and her children may do just that.
She mentioned again how pleased her grandmother and mother would be if
she were to join them at a Christmas Eve service.
I know that her questions and our discussion were more than just
casual chitchat to her because of what followed. She removed the filled bag from my arm along with the tube and
the needle. She was so engrossed in the
conversation that she forgot to leave the needle and tube in to draw blood for
the vials that are used for testing, etc., and that must accompany the
bag.
She apologized and said she’d have to take the blood for the
vials from my other arm, which meant moving to the other side of the bloodmobile. I said that it was no problem and that she
didn’t have to apologize.
Well, three different technicians poked and prodded and poked
some more, trying to locate the vein in my other arm, each without
success. They said they were
sorry! As time went on, the patient
must have been getting pale because they quickly cranked up the air
conditioning and changed the position of the bed.
What began as an uneventful “record speed” blood donation had
now reached the maximum time limit, and they had to stop.
My technician was very, very sorry. She knew that because she was engrossed in conversation she had
made a mistake. I was sorry for her
because she was so sorry!
Because the testing vials were missing, my bag of blood would
have to be thrown out. It couldn’t be
used.
My prayer that afternoon – and many times afterwards – is that
the Lord would use that conversation and “mistake” for a higher purpose. That He would use it to bring this lady and
her children into a faith relationship with Him. She won’t soon forget her “mistake” nor will she forget the
conversation that led up to it.
My prayer is that even though my blood donation will not be used
to save a life, the Lord will use it to save a soul. That would be so wonderful and amazing!
As we enter the New Year, I pray that each of us look for – and
seize - the opportunities the Lord places before us to share the life and love
of Jesus with others. Wouldn’t it be
great if, in heaven, someone were to come up to you or me and say, “You
probably don’t remember me, but it was because of you that I came to believe in
Jesus! I’m here in heaven because of
you!
Isn’t that what our life on earth is all about?
Pastor Carl R. Henkel