For instance, a 12 year old girl on the donor list for a heart still needed one. She was a "mathlete" and great things had been expected of her, but an auto accident had took place and it was only due to heroic efforts that she was even still alive. She was in Los Angeles, and the heart became available in New York City, on the 12th of September. In ordinary circumstances, it could have been flown out and arrive in plenty of time for the operation.
But in this case, it would take two non-stop days of driving. By the protocols, it would have to be drove by certified transport officers, and it would get there...well, it might get there in time. Probably would. Time would be of the essence.
And another hitch came up. The hospitals had an account and an agreement with the airlines, and were billed per flight at the end of each month. In this case, there was no specific budget for this, not for van delivery. There was an account for in-county van delivery. But not cross country.
It took another forty five minutes of yelling and debating till the NYC hospital kicked in 45% of the projected gas costs out of petty cash, the Los Angeles heart surgeon kicked in 25% that he could wire ahead to where they'd be. A variety of family and friends grabbed the loose cash they had and - several hurried ATM withdrawals later - those 14 came up with the remaining 30%!
Two transport officers, now with the funds in hand, started down towards the underground garage, where the van and the heart would be waiting, the heart in a special cooler.
On the way there, the one said, "Well, on the upside we'll get to drive through Utah. I've always wanted to see that state!" The other one looked at him briefly and without missing a stride said, "Sorry, but we'll be going the route that takes us through Oklahoma, we'll not see Utah on this trip."
Well, I could go now into what the first guy then said, and how the second guy responded to that, and the attempts at "reasoning" by each, and I could even give an opinion on which was acting in the best interest of the child, and which may have just wanted to grab some sight seeing. Turns out the second guy had grown up in Oklahoma and hadn't seen it for 20 years, so as to which may have had that ulterior motive - or both or neither, I'd not really be the one to say.
Regardless, the two of them literally had to go back upstairs over this. They were promptly hustled into the conference room by the hospital administrator, who was glaring mightily at what he perceived to be their idiocy. His own solution was pragmatic enough, just take the quickest and shortest route and be done with it.
But then, to be fair, though he hated having to admit this was a problem, he did bring all the players involved into this, including the LA surgeon by video conferencing - I guess what's the point of having such a system if you never use it? So he had the Los Angeles heart surgeon, the two transport officers, the transplant team and the family, too. All the 14 family and friends.
So some had contributed a lot of cash to this, others a bit less, the family and friends really only a pittance each, not that it didn't add up, and then a few who hadn't contributed, but were involved in the whole procedure any way. But while not all had contributed cash, all did have an opinion on the best way to LA.
It turned out that not only was it hard to find the "shortest and quickest" route to LA, it might even be that "shortest" and "quickest" were not even the same thing. Google said that via Interstate 80 - the Utah factions choice - the 2,792 mile trip would take 41 hours.
Mapquest on the other hand said that such a route would be 2 miles longer - 2,794 miles, but oddly, 39 minutes shorter. Meanwhile, Mapquest also suggested as a "Route 2" the I40 option favored by the Oklahoma faction, and showed it to be 42 hours and 18 minutes, and also 2,889 miles, 97 miles longer.
This all had the Utah faction pretty happy, I mean, shorter distance, less time, kind of a done deal, you know? I mean, given that one route was quicker and shorter, what more was there to be said? Well, never underestimate the drawing power of the Sooner State - as Oklahoma is known - because those who favored that route were not swayed.
The conditions on that road were better, less law enforcement meant more speeding, one lady even thought the downward route meant that there might be a gravity assist! Still, such disagreements need never be a big deal, and really, it was only a few hours difference either way, but still hours did count...it was with clenched teeth that the hospital administrator said it would go to a vote.
And really, for most participating in this, that was fine. Vote and then whether it was one way or the other way, at least it would have the heart then racing towards the little girl who so desperately needed it.
Then the NYC hospital's Chief Financial Officer spoke up and said that they'd not be paying the forty five percent they had pledged unless the I40 Oklahoma route was chose! The stunned silence was only then broke by the LA surgeon piping up over the video link that he'd jolly well not put up the 25% unless it went the I80 route through Utah! While one might expect the 14 family and friends who had the most concern for the little girl to speak up now with similar threats, they did not.
Perhaps it was because they, unlike the two other parties, weren't thinking about who wanted to see which state, or perhaps they were thinking that their contributions were too small to sway things. It might have been hard to say whether their motives in not threatening were moral or practical, but then the mom through her tears spoke up to settle what the motivation was once and for all.
"You can't pledge to aid a good cause, and then threaten to break your word if you don't get your way on something! When you pledged, it was like you were saying that you cared for my daughter, cared whether she lived or died, cared whether she got this life saving heart! And if you really did care, in any way at all, you'd keep your pledge to aid my little girl no matter which route was decided on! Because 40 hours or 41 or 42, any route is better than my daughter dying!"
Then each had to look into their own heart to see what their own motivation had been, and if it was for the girl getting the heart she needed, they'd say that their pledge stood no matter what. And of course, all of them then said that, because who would want to look so tawdry as to threaten to withhold a life saving pledge over something like which route?
The vote was about to be took, but the father then spoke up. "Wait. I want it plainly known, given the anger I've seen over this, that if after the vote, in which you all say you'll aid no matter what, that if you don't then aid, I'll know you for a liar. No good reason you come up with for not giving will be accepted. Vote as you please, but know that. Know that after the vote we all unite behind that vote and move forward, unified, the same pledges, the same support. No matter what."
Everyone agreed, though some looked uncomfortable. They voted. A route was chose. As it happened, the majority went with the quickest and shortest route, as it was the only sure fire criterion that made any real difference in the end. Predictably, given the weakness of human nature, a large pledger back out.
There was anger - but more heartache. The others were delayed, but their love of the little girl over-riding any other concern, they simply worked the harder, dug the deeper, and managed to come up with the funds anyway. The pledge breaker had managed to delay them. But only for awhile.
Fortunately, the little girl, after all that, did get the heart in time. It actually took 47 hours to get there, given the delay created by the donor who withdrew, and the family and friends and others had some pretty dark thoughts for that one. One that would play such petty games when the stakes were so large, clearly showing that the goal had never been important, only that one being seen as right had been important.
But, heeding the words of each of their ministers, priests and spiritual leaders, they put that anger behind them, and didn't let it affect or poison the joy in the recovery of the little girl, who had her heart in spite of the pettiness of some. They celebrated that happiness, and forgot pretty quickly the guy who had reneged. In fact, by the time the girl was home, safe and sound, no one could have even told you the name of the person who had welshed on the gas money.
Maybe that story literally happened - it is a big country, it could have. Or maybe I made it up to prove a point. But whether real or allegorical, it makes a point all the same, and a really important point.
If you are a church facing some silly dispute over whether to spend money on a steeple or a gymnasium, or whether to spend money on a Youth Choir Trip or a Married Couples Retreat, or renovating the old church building or buying a new one, or anything else, you must remember this story.
Discuss whatever issue it is. Debate it. Vote on it.
But NEVER threaten to withdraw your financial support of the church. And when the vote is done, NEVER actually then withdraw that support. Even if you think you can come up a "good" sounding reason. There is no good reason. Don't ever kid yourself that you'll have anyone think so.
You see, your church has a mission. And that is LITERALLY to aid in saving the heart of a little girl. And not just one little girl, but all the girls out there, all the boys out there, and all the men and women out there! For you see, all of them have hearts that are not yet Christ's, and if you'll remember, it was - and is - the mission of the church to see to it that their hearts do find Christ, and that they then each give their hearts to Christ!
Did you think you were donating to the church for any other reason than that? Did you think your donations were for a steeple? Or a new building? Or a Youth Choir Trip? Oh, such can be fun, such can be cool, but what you were really donating for all along was to save the heart of the little girl, and all her brothers and sisters and aunts and uncles and cousins!
You were donating to bring people to Christ, so that their hearts could be saved! When you threaten to withdraw your donations, you are not threatening a steeple, you are threatening that little girl! When you actually withdraw your funds, you are not - because God will not let you - stopping the ministry of His only begotten Son Jesus Christ!
No, you are only - damnably - delaying it, because His Good and Faithful Servants will yet carry on with that mission, with or without you. You may indeed delay it, but the mission to save souls will continue, and soon enough, the happiness of that will drown out any anger or grief you cause, till not even your name is remembered.
Well, not remembered by any down here. Most certainly remembered later. By One up there. You may then share your "good reasons" with Him.
The church is the Bride of Christ, and she is to be stood by. Disagree with others, persuade others, even rail against this or that. But when a vote is had, let it be had without any one fearing that someone will try to tank the Mission of Jesus Christ Himself. And when the vote is had, close ranks and move on, with your pocketbook still as open as your heart is to be, and go forward as happy that your brethren are at least happy, as you'd have wanted them to be happy for your sake had it gone your way!
The end goal is to save souls!
No comments:
Post a Comment