God loves a cheerful giver
Some thirty years after doing it as a student, I have finally got around to giving blood again. In the intervening years there has been every imaginable excuse: too busy, too unwell, too tired, too afraid. You name it – I have used it!
Then along came the Lent course on generosity, and fleshandblood in particular. Having urged the church strongly to consider blood donation as an act of Christian giving, when the Blood Transfusion service came to the church – what could I do?
Lying on my bed, blood flowing from my arm and constantly closing and unclosing my fist,as instructed, I looked up at the church hall ceiling. There before me was our banner, and a simple wooden cross. If I were in need of inspiration, they certainly provided it. What greater example of self-giving do we have than that of Christ himself? What is a greater act of true community than to give of ourselves to one another, in such a way that the donor can neither seek nor receive thanks from the recipient?
I don’t get on well with needles or medical procedures of any kind – but then again, who does? With an extra 225,000 donations of blood needed every year in the UK alone, this is no time to be precious!
