DEEP LOVE

“Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.” – 1 Peter 1:22

 

Matt Creemens went on Facebook looking for a babysitter and ended up losing a kidney.

The 47-year-old Springfield, Illinois computer programmer and married father of four was looking for a teenager from his church to watch his kids. As he perused various social media posts, he came across a link concerning the health challenges of one of his church’s pastors.

Steve Patzia, co-lead pastor at Cherry Hills Church, was born with a rare kidney disease and found himself nearing organ failure in 2019.  “It was strange, I found myself staring at that page and I couldn’t make my hand move. The Holy Spirit was leading me. It is a difficult thing to describe but I not only felt compelled to move forward but also was very much at peace,” Creemens said.

The two men, who are both in their 40s, did not know each other particularly well.

 

“I don’t remember ever speaking with Steve one-on-one before this, but I listened to his sermons, so we had that connection,” he said.  When Creemens began the process, he underwent several medical tests to see if his kidney would be a good match for Patzia. But he didn’t inform his pastor that he was having the test done or contemplating being a donor.

“I kept taking tests and I kept proving to be a good match. Finally, the doctors said I needed to tell Steve.”  Creemens’ inspiration to donate a kidney came from words of John the Baptist in the Gospel of Luke: “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none.”

Creemens said he believed that admonition could apply as easily to someone with two kidneys as someone with a pair of shirts. 

 

Pastor Patzia said he was shocked when Creemens made the offer. The men had the transplant surgery in August 2019 and both successfully recovered. 

 

Jesus loves us deeply; He laid down His life so we may have salvation through Him. Today in prayer, thank the Lord for His love for you and deeply love others. 

 

"I have found the paradox that if I love until it hurts, then there is no more hurt, but only more love." - Mother Teresa.

 

God’s Word: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” – John 13:34