It is a heartwarming story, one that might restore for even the jaded a faith in humanity. The sad news is that Jada Harper, barely seven years old, is dying of an inoperable, malignant brain tumor. She has been at M.D. Anderson hospital seeking treatment since July. She is in a coma and on a ventilator, but her parents wished for her to spend her last few days in the familiar surroundings of home. The trouble was that they could not afford the $11,000 it would require to make the trip from Houston to their Harrison, Arkansas, home. Little Jada would not have survived the trip by ground ambulance. That is when a friend of the Harpers called a contact at FedEx. The friend contacted Kelly Madewell, a flight operations specialist for FedEx Freight in Harrison. FedEx made the compassionate decision to pay the $11,000 needed for Medway air ambulance to transport the little girl home to spend her remaining days. Jada's grandmother summed it all up well when she said, "I'm so overwhelmed. You don't know how we've searched for the past two weeks. We've searched all over the U.S. to find somebody who could help us bring Jada home, and the answer was right here in our hometown. These people at FedEx are miracle-workers"
(www.harrisondailytimes.com).
At seven years old, Jada will make a happy transition from pain and sickness to the eternal joys of Paradise very soon. Her story will not have a sad ending! We can rejoice over this! Yet, there are countless people with a spiritual sickness that will have an infinitely more tragic end unless we help them prepare for that journey to the long home of the soul. Whatever it costs us in time, sacrifice, comfort, or even money should be balanced by the value of the soul involved (Matt. 16:26). Our efforts will not likely draw the attention of the local or national press, but it will produce a recognition far higher some day (cf. Prov. 11:30; 1 Cor. 3:11ff). How many people, touched by the gospel, might say what this grandmother said. People are searching everywhere, looking for anything, while the answer might be in their hometown, near the cubicle, in their very neighborhood, in the places where they are every day. We have the answer to the greatest question mankind will ever ask: "What must I do to be saved?" The question is, "Will we have the compassion to make this all-important decision to share the good news?" People need help to get home!
(www.harrisondailytimes.com).
At seven years old, Jada will make a happy transition from pain and sickness to the eternal joys of Paradise very soon. Her story will not have a sad ending! We can rejoice over this! Yet, there are countless people with a spiritual sickness that will have an infinitely more tragic end unless we help them prepare for that journey to the long home of the soul. Whatever it costs us in time, sacrifice, comfort, or even money should be balanced by the value of the soul involved (Matt. 16:26). Our efforts will not likely draw the attention of the local or national press, but it will produce a recognition far higher some day (cf. Prov. 11:30; 1 Cor. 3:11ff). How many people, touched by the gospel, might say what this grandmother said. People are searching everywhere, looking for anything, while the answer might be in their hometown, near the cubicle, in their very neighborhood, in the places where they are every day. We have the answer to the greatest question mankind will ever ask: "What must I do to be saved?" The question is, "Will we have the compassion to make this all-important decision to share the good news?" People need help to get home!
Neal Pollard
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