Journey 32 - A Conversation

Eleven years ago today, precisely on a Tuesday, James received a new heart. I still visualize all the incredible details of that extraordinary event as a shipwrecked sailor remembers forever the remarkable sight of that vessel coming to his rescue. For James this day was the culmination of almost five years of plodding along with a damaged heart, making do, and soaring in spite of the deformities that accompany congenital heart disease. The new heart brought James life, brought him back from the dead actually. His old worn-out pump had heroically maintained a semblance of function. But when the new heart was surgically positioned in his chest, when the old heart no longer had to struggle to give James breath, his body radiated vigor as every cell, fiber and nerve ending celebrated the wondrous victory of renewal. The transplanted heart was a gift from God that came through the courageous act of one woman, Donna, who was willing to set aside her painful loss for just long enough to ensure that her daughter's organs would benefit the lives of many awaiting organ transplantation.
Now it is our task to see our family's painful loss of James as an extraordinary opportunity to transplant hope into the lives of those struggling with despair in their own troubled hearts. James' days on earth ended but his life continues whenever we share his story of how he bravely overcame horrendous odds because the "good hands" of God rested on him. James lived passionately and understood far beyond his years that circumstances never have to dictate who we are or what we accomplish. His enthusiastic response to ordinary events, contagious smile, grateful spirit and unconditional love for others marked him as a boy who fully grasped the joy and wonder of life lived well. He got it. Then he gave it back out. From where we stand it is our turn to pass along the lessons he left behind.