HANDMAIDENS OF THE LORD

And while the church listens to

a little transistor radio with a microphone

stuck up to it, the announcement is made:

"Two women are lying in a Long Island

hospital dying from the mystery flu."

Within hours it seems, this thing just

sweeps across the country. People are

working around the clock trying to find

an antidote.

Nothing is working. California, Oregon,

Arizona, Florida, Massachusetts.

It's as though it's just sweeping in

from the borders. And then, all of a

sudden the news comes out.

The code has been broken. A cure can

be found. A vaccine can be made. It's

going to take the blood of somebody who

hasn't been infected, and so, sure enough,

all through the Midwest, through all

those channels of emergency broadcasting,

everyone is asked to do one simple thing:

Go to your downtown hospital and have your

blood type taken. That's all we ask of you.

When you hear the sirens go off in your

neighborhood, please make your way quickly,

quietly, and safely to the hospitals.

Sure enough, when you and your family get

down there late on that Friday night, there

is a long line, and they've got nurses and

doctors coming out and pricking fingers and

taking blood and putting labels on it.

Your wife and your kids are out there, and they

take your blood type and they say, "Wait here

in the parking lot and if we call your name,

you can be dismissed and go home."

You stand around, scared, with your neighbors,

wondering what in the world is going on and

if this is the end of the world.

Suddenly a young man comes running out of

the hospital screaming. He's yelling a name and

waving a clipboard.

What? He yells it again! And your son tugs on

your jacket and says, "Daddy, that's me." Before

you know it, they have grabbed your boy. Wait a

minute. Hold on!

And they say, "It's okay, his blood is clean.

His blood is pure. We want to make sure he

doesn't have the disease. We think he has got

the right type."

Five tense minutes later, out come the doctors

and nurses, crying and hugging one another-some

are even laughing. It's the first time you have

seen anybody laugh in a week, and an old doctor

walks up to you and says, "Thank you, sir.

Your son's blood type is perfect. It's clean,

it is pure, and we can make the vaccine."

As the word begins to spread all across that

parking lot full of folks, people are screaming

and praying and laughing and crying.

But then the gray-haired doctor pulls you and you

wife aside and says, "May we see you for moment?

We didn't realize that the donor would be a minor

and we need ... we need you to sign a consent

form."

You begin to sign and then you see that the

number of pints of blood to be taken is empty.

"H-how many pints?"

And that is when the old doctor's smile fades and

he says,

"We had no idea it would be little child. We weren't
prepared.

We need it all."

"But-but...You don't understand."

"We are talking about the world here. Please sign.

We need it all!"

"But can't you give him a transfusion?"

"If we had clean blood we would. Can you sign? Would you
sign?"

In numb silence, you do.

Then they say, "Would you like to have a moment

with him before we begin?"

Can you walk back? Can you walk back to that

room where he sits on a table saying, "Daddy?

Mommy? What's going on?" Can you take his hands and

say, "Son, your mommy and I love you, and we would

never ever let anything happen to you that didn't just

have to be. Do you understand that?"

And when that old doctor comes back in and says,

"I'm sorry, we've-got to get started. People

all over the world are dying.

Can you leave? Can you walk out while he is

saying, "Dad? Mom? Dad? "Why, why have you forsaken

me?"

And then next week, when they have the ceremony

to honor your son, and some folks sleep through

it, and some folks don't even come because they go to

the lake, and some folks come with a pretentious

smile and just pretend to care.

Would you want to jump up and say, "MY SON DIED

FOR YOU! DON'T YOU CARE?"

Is that what GOD wants to say?

"MY SON DIED FOR YOU. DON'T YOU KNOW HOW

MUCH I CARE?"

Father, seeing it from your eyes breaks our

hearts. Maybe now we can begin to comprehend the

great Love you have for us."

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