Blessed Beyond I Deserve

For the last six years I’ve regularly donated blood. I have a few simple reasons for giving: 1) blood is needed, 2) it is an easy way to serve and be salt and light in the community, 3) my blood test is the only test I’ve taken and gotten a “grade” of A+, and, 4) to honor my mother-in-law, Edna Mae Joy, who was a faithful donor who gave gallons in her lifetime.

This past Friday I had an opportunity to give a pint of my A+ blood. As it happened the blood drive was in honor of Kevin Coffey. Four years ago Kevin died in Syracuse, NY, following a bus accident while on a trip to Toronto, Canada. He was from Manhattan, Kansas and was a 19 year old sophomore honors student at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA.

Kevin was an Eagle Scout and giving blood was one of his passions. So, his parents and friends have “Kept the Drive Alive” by holding yearly blood drives in Kevin’s honor in Manhattan and at Temple University.

After giving blood, and waiting the prescribed amount of time, and of course downing a couple of cookies, I got up to leave. On my way out I passed a table where Ray Coffey (Kevin’s dad) was standing. Ray was handing out “Keep the Drive Alive” t-shirts to those who had donated.  Ray was also encouraging donors to place an entry into a drawing for a chance to win a Bill Snyder autographed football, 2 tickets to a McCain performance on December 19, or a gift certificate to the Olive Garden Restaurant (as I recall).

I never win these things, but who could pass up a free drawing!?!?!

So I filled out a sheet of paper with my name and number on one side and on the other side I put an “X” in the box indicating that I wanted a chance to win the autographed football.

While filling out my form another fellow came up to the table. Ray gave him a t-shirt and asked him if he wanted to enter the drawing too.

When he saw the prizes, I heard him mention that December 19 was his wedding anniversary and his wife would love to go to a show to celebrate. I thought that was pretty cool – this guy was thinking of his wife and of celebrating his marriage to her. (I wonder if Sharon would like a football, hmmm…)

So, I told him I thought what he was doing was cool and so I was going to mark an “X” on the back of my drawing ticket for the McCain performance and that if I won I’d give him the tickets. So we exchanged business cards. My sentiment counted for something, so I left feeling good. I never gave the drawing another thought – after all, I never win these things.

This morning I got a call from Ray Coffey. Guess what – I won. Ray told me I had a choice between the football and the tickets. Great!  Kind of.  Which do I pick? Do you know how many times I’ve tried to win a Bill Snyder autographed football!?!? 

I wanted the football. But I had promised the tickets. Which would you choose?  That guy would never know I won – would he?

So, I told Ray I really wanted the football, but I also wanted to die with integrity so I probably ought to take the tickets. Then Ray had an idea. He said something about being on the McCain board and that he knew there were still tickets available for that performance. So, if I wanted to buy a couple of tickets I could have the football and die with integrity!

“Well, how much are the tickets?” I asked. “I’m not sure. But I’ll check and call you back.” Ray replied. Perfect!  A few minutes later the phone rang again. It was Ray. “You just won the football.” he said. He went on to explain that he told the story to the director of McCain. The director thought it was a cool story and told Ray that he’d like to give him two complimentary tickets to give to me, so that I could give them to the anniversary couple!  How cool is that!

This evening I called Justin and told him the story. When I told him that I wanted the football, he said something about that I should take it. He thought he was letting me “off the hook” on my promise. But then I told him there was more to the story. When he heard the rest he was ecstatic (me too!).

The end of the story?  Not yet…

This morning, about two hours before Ray called to tell me that I was a winner, I did my daily scripture reading and journaling. I read from Matthew chapter 17 through 19. In chapter 19, Matthew recounts a time that Jesus was approached by rich man who wanted to know how to get into heaven. “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”

Jesus told him that he needed to follow the commandments. “Which ones?” the rich man asked. And so Jesus listed off a few. “I’ve followed those. What else do I need to do?” was the reply. So then Jesus gave him the hard stuff – sell all you have, give it to the poor, and then follow me.

The rich man went away sad because “…it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”  Jesus taught a bit more and then Peter spoke up, “We’ve given up everything to follow you. What will we get?”

Jesus’ reply contained the verses that caught my eye and made it into my journal this morning. Matthew 19:29-30 (NLT) – “Everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life.  But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then.”

I then wrote the following thoughts on these verses…  “God is noticing what we do on behalf of Him and what we do for ourselves. When we sacrifice something that was ‘ours’ for Him, He notices. But He does more than notice. He keeps track and He blesses the giver beyond the gift. So, live with an eternal perspective. What I have is really best used for His purposes. Father this is Your day and I am Yours too. Today I want to spend the day with You.”

Today I won a football. But more importantly I made a couple of friends named Ray and Justin. And more important still, I got a living color lesson on how God is active and working in our lives.

These verses spoke to me before I headed out into the day, but I honestly didn’t connect the dots between this scripture and the day’s events until I began writing down these thoughts this evening.

But God’s Word is alive! It does apply to life! It teaches! It corrects! It encourages! It informs! It directs!

This scripture lesson (and others from earlier in life) must have lodged somewhere. So I gave. And, because I gave I was given too. I considered someone ahead of myself. And, I’m convinced that because I did, God – through others, chose to bless me. And in blessing me, He made His Word come alive in my life. And because it came alive in my life, I’m more driven and excited to absorb and apply His Word further!

   

Today, several were blessed (Ray, Justin and I – hopefully you too as you read this). Could this be the hundred times blessing that Jesus mentioned?  Why not!

God blesses those who live for Him. Even blessing a fellow like me – who really wanted to hang on to what I wanted – but in the end opted for doing what was right and God honoring.

Jesus encouraged His students, who had given up so much to follow Him, with a promise that God was taking notice of what they were doing. And God would bless them beyond their wildest imaginations and on top of that they would also receive eternal life!  Jesus didn’t say when those blessings would be given, so I suppose they could be given in this life and/or in eternity. Who knows, maybe He will even give them today.

Live to give. You can’t keep more than He can give you.

Blessed beyond I deserve,

Ron