Sunday greetings everyone!

Today's news is going to be a bit disjointed because I am too. So, I'm just going to let things tumble out and I think I'll get to where I'm going anyway.

First of all, I want you to know that I try not to make the Cybersalt News section really heavy. I know the each week different of you Cybersaltines are going through hard times and seasons in life, so my goal  for this newsletter is that it be a "pick me up."

With that in mind, if this is a hard time or season for you - especially if you have lost someone to COVID - and you do need a pick me up, I encourage you to skip this news today. I don't mind at all and completely understand.

There was no mailing last Chicken Thursday because last week my childhood and lifelong friend, Darrell, was on life support. So, I scaled back on my week to make room for self-care.

Once it was clear that Darrell was gone and it was time to take him off the machines, his wife learned that he was an organ donor. This led to a couple of more days on life support while as many matches as possible were made for organ transplants. Once off the machines, Darrell's passing completed after 18 minutes. His lungs, kidneys, and liver are now, hopefully, giving others a new hope for extended life.

It was a very hard week. Grandma Cybersalt and I are OK.

I once sat days with a family from my church as they waited for a liver to become available for transplant for their daughter/sister. One did become available, but sadly she had deteriorated too much to receive it and she died. In another case, a mentor of mine did receive a liver in time and he continues to enjoy life today with his wife, kids, and grandkids. Darrell's being a donor forced me to experience a different side of organ donation. I have many things to share from that side, but I think I'll leave them for another time and maybe another forum.

However, one thing I will speak of now is how gripping it was to realize that somewhere out there a few people were about to receive something life-saving and life-changing that they had been holding out hope for for a very long time. I didn't know where they were, who they were, or what their stories were, but I felt so invested in them. I prayed for them and in my heart I was cheering for them that it would work out well for them.

Along the way I recalled a powerful video I watched a couple of months ago. It was a video I immediately knew I wanted to share with you all, however, I set it aside for a different time because I knew it could be very sad and/devastating for anyone who has lost (or maybe is losing) someone to COVID. It's a video of a transplant patient taking her first breaths with her new lungs.

I hope and pray my dear friend's passing, and his wife's sacrifice of honouring his wishes and prolonging the agonizing process of losing him, has lead to someone experiencing a new beginning like this woman and her family.

I don't even know how to put into words the possibility that you or I being indicating we want to be organ donors could so the same thing.

Click here to watch the video.

Enjoy the rest of today's mailing!

~ Pastor Tim