A laywoman from Swan Valley UMC shares God’s word and her witness for organ donation.
LORI HARLESS
Gift of Life Michigan
A calling in 2012 to begin studies in Lay Speaking Ministries was just the beginning. Little did I know it would only be a single step in a mission to help save lives. I would use this training not only to share God’s word, but to be a voice for those who can’t speak for themselves.
After completing the Lay Speaking course, my activities in church increased. My new responsibilities were accompanied by a sense of blessing to have been chosen for ministry.
But only months later I became very ill. My body was threatened with liver failure due to Hepatitis C. It was a disease that I had contracted through a blood transfusion in 1971 after serious injuries from a accident. This disease had been dormant in my body for years, and at the time there was no cure.
I found myself questioning the Lord. “Why did you have me take that class if I was going to die? I am no good to you now! Why Lord?” I thought I had finally discovered my calling. I was angry with God.
At one point, I prayed, “Lord you know what’s in my heart so you know this is not a bribe, but a promise. If you heal me I will be sure everyone knows what you did for me.” But, later the pain and suffering became so great, I found myself submitting to the disease. My prayers would change to, “Please take me Lord, I can’t handle this anymore.” My children and friends would encourage me to have a transplant. I wouldn’t consider it because I was convinced the Lord was just going to take me.
Months went by. God spoke to two of his followers, instructing them to come and tell me that he wanted me to have a liver transplant. After receiving his message, I ultimately agreed to have the transplant. I realized, I had been babbling in prayer instead of being silent and listening for God’s instruction.
In December of 2013, I was placed on the liver transplant waiting list. But that was just the beginning of my journey to receive a liver. There is always a critical shortage of registered donors. A scoring system was used to determine how close I was to death to raise me to the priority list. This is an extremely hard position to be in. I found myself thinking, “What more do I need to endure?
On April 3rd of 2014 I received the call, a matching liver had been donated. On April 4th, the transplant was completed and my first thought was, “I have a lot of work to do because of my promise to the Lord.” I was so grateful for my new liver. I didn’t know who the donor was, but my life had been saved because they had made the decision to register as a donor.
Now the Lord has given me a new calling, a blessing to be a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves, those who are on or will be on a waiting list as I was.
Gift of Life Michigan, headquartered In Ann Arbor, is the state’s only federally designated organ and tissue recovery program. It provides all the services necessary for organ donation to occur in Michigan. Gift of Life Michigan maintains the Michigan Organ Donor Registry in partnership with the Michigan Secretary of State. The Donor Registry is a confidential database of state residents who have expressed their decision to someday help others by becoming organ, eye and tissue donors.
One organ donor can save up to eight lives and through tissue donation can improve the quality of life for up to 50 people. Anyone can join the Donor Registry, regardless of their age, health or lifestyle history.
To encourage people to become organ donors I find it helpful for them to know their faith community’s position on organ and tissue donation. Below, is a portion of United Methodist Resolution #3351 which outlines our denomination’s position:
Consistent with the Great Commandment to love God with all our heart, soul and mind, and our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-37), selfless consideration for the health and welfare of all persons is at the heart of the Christian ethic.
Organ and tissue donation is a life-giving act, since transplantation of organs and tissues is scientifically proven to save the lives of persons with terminal diseases and improve the quality of life for the blind, the deaf, and persons with life-threatening illnesses.
The United Methodist Church recognizes the life-giving benefits of organ and tissue donation and therefore encourages all United Methodist members and others to become organ and tissue donors by signing and carrying cards, driver’s licenses, or other forms of identification, attesting to their commitment of such organs upon their death to those in need, as a part of their ministry to others in the name of Christ, who gave his life that we might have life in its fullness. (Note: please refer to The United Methodist Book of Resolutions #3351 for more information.)
Gift of Life Michigan has volunteers and speakers, such as myself, who are trained and available to come and give a presentation to your congregation. The volunteers will only use time allotted to speak. After the service, the representative will remain in a designated area to answer questions and or register donors.
For more information on Gift of Life Michigan, or to register as a donor, you may go to: www.giftoflifemichigan.org or call 1-800-482-4881. You may also register at your local Secretary of State’s office.
This is a ministry which I am personally called to in response to God’s blessings in my life. I thank you in advance and I pray your congregation will be a part of this mission to save lives. Please consider scheduling a presentation, as well as honoring Donor Sabbath in November.
Last Updated on March 13, 2017