Nov. 2: To Save a Life or Buy a Shirt

Chelsea Egan lives in the Bergen County, New Jersey, community of Haworth, goes to Northern Valley High School in Demarest, and shares many of her likes and dislikes with other girls her age.  Like many of them, too, she gets a lot of birthday presents each year, and with her 15th birthday rapidly approaching, she had an idea to bring to her parents: Why not skip the gifts this year and collect money for cancer instead?

The idea didn’t pop up out of thin air.  Egan lost one aunt to cancer and another was battling the disease, and she wanted to do something to help fight it.  Thus was born the quickly-organized collection, which included donations ranging from 45 cents to $100.
Egan explained her reasoning to columnist Mike Kelly of The Record: “My parents bought me lots of stuff for Christmas. There wasn’t anything else I needed, though there was more stuff I wanted.  But what’s the reason for me to get more stuff?  Would I rather save a life or buy a shirt?  That’s what it came down to.”

Have…sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart,

and a humble mind.  (1 Peter 3:8)

Lord, let me see opportunities to do good.