Martha Olsen has been a mail carrier for nineteen years. But her greatest delivery might have been good news to a family in need. An avid marathoner, Olsen saw a social media post from one of her running friends about a man in need of a kidney transplant. Olsen said, “Big things often start off small. This whole journey for me started out with a simple Facebook post that touched my heart and caused me to make a phone call. And everything kind of tumbled from there.”

As it turns out, Olsen was not a match for Dan, her mutual friend. But rather than giving up, Olsen volunteered for a paired kidney exchange. She donated her kidney to a third party—a Texan kindergarten teacher named Debra—and Debra’s original donor gave their kidney to Dan.

The story was a poignant reminder for Melissa Tackett-Warner, Olsen’s boss at the Jackson Post Office. Melissa’s husband had received a kidney donation after his failed. She said, “It took me back—all those emotions that I had and what we were faced with came flooding back. Just that she was willing to do that for a complete stranger—how selfless is that?”

Potential Preaching Angle: We continue the work of Jesus when we offer ourselves as the vehicle for the healing of others.

Source: Taylor DesOrmeau, “Facebook post inspires Michigan mail carrier to give kidney to stranger” MLive.com (8-23-19)