Chain Reaction

Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that.

Before he was born, an ultrasound revealed that Jenny and Brian’s son John had a heart issue. Though it was labeled as mild, he was later diagnosed with Shone’s syndrome. When a surgery at twelve months of age to replace a valve and correct another issue didn’t go as planned, it put him in the 2 to 5 percent of children with complications.

During John’s lengthy hospital stays, Jenny and Brian quickly realized that even though their son was the patient, they felt equally supported. They appreciated the skilled nurses and their ability to help the family stay positive. To lift their spirits, one nurse even dressed John in Green Bay Packers clothing, knowing full well that Jenny and Brian were avid fans of their rival, the Minnesota Vikings. The thought still makes the couple chuckle.

To give back to the staff that had treated them with such kindness, Jenny and Brian started an annual golf tournament in their son’s name, with all the proceeds going to the hospital. Over the twelve years of hosting the tournament, they raised more than $160,000.

“We will never forget the gratitude we had for the nursing staff that lovingly cared for John but also showed care for us,” Jenny later said. “Our gratefulness was extended for the good of many. It still warms our hearts more than twenty years later.”

Generosity often starts a chain reaction. When we extend a helping hand to someone, they’re more likely to do the same for someone else. The nurses’ kindnesses made Jenny and Brian want to reciprocate. Their actions spilled over, benefiting the hospital and other families. Years later, John’s name is still on a plaque next to a sleep room in the hospital that’s available for other families to use, and the impact of Jenny and Brian’s generosity lives on.

Kristin

Today’s Act of Gratitude

Think of an act of generosity or kindness someone has done for you. How can you do the same to help someone else who is going through a difficult time?