December 15, 2022

Scarlett Kiowski
"The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”
John 1:9-13

At a recent Community Group gathering, our leader asked the question, “What was the best gift you have ever received?” Both my husband and I looked at each other and said, “That’s easy!” On September 5, 2013, my husband was given the gift of life through a kidney transplant. The kidney was given to my husband by a friend of ours, who told us, “God said to give you my kidney.” A year and a half later, God gave us another gift of life, our son, whose middle name is after our friend, the kidney donor, Matthew.

John 15:13 says, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” On that day, our friend laid down his life for us. It’s such a hard concept for me to wrap my mind around. How can we repay him? Well, we can’t. Which is such a strange and helpless feeling. But God taught us through that journey how to receive, be grateful for life, and make every moment count. Does this story sound familiar to you? Does it sound like one you’ve heard before? If you have surrendered to Jesus, you have received the gift of life, a gift that cannot be repaid. If you have never stopped and surrendered your life to Jesus, I encourage you to stop and receive. Receive the gift of life that never stops giving. The gift of life that brings so much love, hope, and joy.

You see, God could have simply restored my husband’s health that day, but He did more than that. He gave us our son. That’s what Jesus does. He gives us more than we could ever ask or imagine when we stop to receive.