Universal Donor Lent day 22

I gave blood yesterday. I always feel a bit special when I give blood. A super hero if I must go there. I have O Negative blood which makes me a universal donor and so the Blood Bank people always remind me how important it is that I donate blood because of its life saving capabilities. I know my blood type is just a genetic inheritance from my Dad but I'll take whatever heroic bones that get thrown my way. 

I'm actually not wild about giving blood. I don't mind the needles but I do mind the feeling of the plastic cord of red life that runs from my veins against my arm and into the receptacle. I don't like how warm it is. I don't like that I am feeling the warmth of my body outside of my body. I actually mustn't think about it too much because I might kotch. 

While trying not to look at my arm yesterday I was reading some of the literature about blood donation. Apparently if you donate blood your one donation could save three lives. 1 = 3. That's a lot of lives for one pint of blood. It is remarkable actually. We had over 70 boys donating blood yesterday so that is potentially over 200 lives saved. And so despite the fact that I felt queasy for the rest of the day I recon it's a sacrifice well worth it.  

As I was sitting there drinking my juice and eating my biscuits I started thinking about perhaps the biggest donation of blood in history. Imagine having blood so precious that is has the capacity so save every human who has ever lived. And, just like me, imagine knowing what you about to donate before actually donating it. It's one thing to lose blood in an accident when the adrenalin kicks in and you just deal with the mess in the heat of the moment, its another thing entirely to go into something knowing that you're going to have to feel the warmth of you body spilling out onto the outside of your body. 

And then imagine telling your friends that it is going to happen before it happens. It's quite a thing to picture a casual dinner party that turns into one of the most significant moments in human kind's history. A moment where wine becomes blood, where blood becomes eternity. 

I have committed myself to writing every day for Lent. I have just crossed the half way mark. I cannot help but think about how these 40 days must have been for our Christ. What went on in His soul as he walked closer and closer to the hugest sacrifice any human has and will ever make. 

1 = Everyone.