A while back there was a 6-year-old girl who contracted a terrible disease. To survive, she needed a blood transfusion from somebody who had previously conquered the same disease. The situation was complicated by her rare blood type. Her 9-year-old brother qualified as a donor, but everyone was hesitant to ask him since he was just a lad. Finally, they agreed to have the doctor pose the question.

   The attending physician tactfully asked the boy if he was willing to be brave and donate blood for his sister. Though he didn’t understand much about such things, the boy agreed without hesitation: ‘Sure, I’ll give my blood for my sister.’

    He lay down beside his sister and smiled at her as they pricked his arm with the needle. Then he closed his eyes and lay silently on the bed as the pint of blood was taken.

  Soon thereafter, the physician came in to thank the little fellow. The boy, with quivering lips and tears running down his cheeks, asked, ‘Doctor, when do I die?’  At that moment the doctor realized that the naïve little boy thought that by giving his blood, he was giving up his life.  Quickly he reassured the boy that he was not going to die, but amazed at his courage, the doctor asked, ‘Why were you willing to risk your life for her?’

   ‘Because she is my sister … and I love her,’ was the boy’s simple but significant reply.

       Historically, we do know of another who out of his great love for us, did shed his blood and did die.  And this reminds me of another lesson: What good is another lesson if it doesn’t lead to love?