The Gift

The Arrival of a Gift That Changed My Life
The Christmas Story (Luke 2) is full of ordinary (now, extraordinary) people like shepherds, a young couple, and Magi. My kidney donor is an ordinary (now, extraordinary) person, and their selfless choice has become transformative.

Under a Christmas tree, there are boxes of gifts wrapped in paper and ribbon with to and from labels, and then there are other priceless gifts wrapped in grace. This year, I received a special grace-wrapped gift. (To: Chad. From: Your Kidney Donor.)

This kidney wasn’t a gift I expected to have at this time last year, something I could have never earned, and I am still trying to fully comprehend how it all came to be.

Christmas is a season of wonder, but this year the wonder took on a new form. Grace took on the shape of a kidney, an organ I desperately needed.

And, this gift came from someone I have never met.

Just as the world didn’t know the fullness of who Jesus was when he arrived, I don’t know the face or story of the person who declared, “Yes, to donating.” So, somewhere out there is someone who really said, “Yes.” Yes, to generosity, to sacrifice. They gave a part of themselves so I could have a kidney, and in doing so, their friend or family member could too. This was possible through a cross‑match donation that included my (extraordinary) friend Jeff who also gave his kidney to someone he had never met. My gratitude for Jeff’s generosity is never‑ending for being a vital piece of the cross-match and my friend.

Their gift arrived the way miraculous things sometimes do. Not with trumpets or fanfare, but with everyday actions of everyday people like the steady hands of a surgeon and the prayers of those who held me up. One moment waiting, and the next, waking up to a future I feared being cut short due to my kidney function. I carry their kindness with me, their courage, and their “Yes.” And each day the kidney settles in, doing the work of two, I’m reminded that miracles don’t need stars or wise men or angels; they just begin, and we learn to accept them. I am still learning to accept this gift daily.

I find myself thinking of the manger. A place where a gift arrived without applause, without the world fully understanding the gift they had just been given. Immanuel. A gift wrapped in swaddling cloth, telling humanity that God had come to save us. (To: Chad: From: God.)

My donor’s gift reflects that truth. A reminder, goodness finds its way into the world. A reminder, love moves around, even through uncommon circumstances, from blessings that come from unexpected places at unexpected times.

So, this Christmas and all future Christmases, I am grateful in a way I have never been before. Grateful for life, for healing, for this gift I unwrapped one October morning. Grateful to the (currently) anonymous hero whose generosity has become part of my story and, I, a part of theirs.

Grateful to God, who brought two strangers together in an unexpected way.

Christmas is about restoration, renewal, and hope taking on flesh; my donor’s gift restored my life and quality of life in a way that echoes that same hope.

December 25th has always carried special meaning.
October 22nd carries its own, too.

And one day, I hope to meet this gift giver and start the conversation by stating, “I received your gift. Thank you!” Until then, I can only imagine meeting them.

Related Posts:
Living Donor Match – Answered Prayers
The Divine Timing of the Kidney Transplant
I’m Thankful…