THREE ANGELS BROADCASTING NETWORK DEVOTIONAL
No Strings Attached
By Idalia Dinzey
March 5th, 2026
“Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love ….” Romans 12:10
My brother hadn’t spoken to me for ten years, and every attempt I’d made to find out why just made him angrier. To this day, I have no idea what I did to drive him away, but he obviously wasn’t ready to speak to me.
I wracked my brain through those sleepless, tearful nights, and I made sure my two sons understood me when I told them, over and over again, “You two are brothers. You must love each other through thick and thin. Never turn your back on your brother.”
He missed my wedding, the birth of both of my sons—the most important events in a woman’s life—but I finally accepted that this was the way it was going to be, and I moved on.
Until the phone call.
My mother’s voice on the telephone made my heart stop. “Tita, your brother’s kidneys are failing. He’s going to die. Please come quickly.”
“I’ll be there, Mom,” I said, and in an instant, all my love for my big brother rushed from my heart into my conscious mind. His kidneys have failed, I repeated to myself as we drove north. He may need a kidney transplant. I’d signed up as an organ donor, but I honestly hadn’t considered that I might be donating one before I died.
“Honey, if my brother needs a kidney, I would like to give him one of mine. Is that okay?”
Johnny’s expression was a mixture of surprise and worry. “It’s okay with me, if that’s what you want to do,” he finally said after a long pause.
When we arrived, my dilemma became strong. I didn’t want to be a potential donor just because it might be the nice thing to do. I had two children, and what would happen if they needed one of my kidneys someday? I need a yes or no answer from you, Lord, I prayed. It will have to be a 100 percent match.
Three of my brother’s friends from work, along with my youngest brother and I went through the battery of tests. As I tried to lie still during my two-hour MRI test, my mind raced. Lord, I’m so scared. I need You to be with me now.
“We have a donor!” the transplant coordinator announced, as my heart pounded faster.
“Who is it?” my brother asked.
The coordinator then told us that my brother’s friends had all scored zero, and that my youngest brother had scored 50. And while that was enough of a match, I had scored 100 percent compatible. I was his match!
“Oh, no! Not my sister!” he cried out. “She’s got little kids. Her family needs her!”
Later that day, as he underwent emergency dialysis, I stood by watching him helplessly. At lunch time, he was shaking so badly he couldn’t feed himself.
“Willie, are you hungry?”
He nodded.
“Do you want me to feed you?”
He nodded again.
Oh God, I’m feeding my brother! This strong, independent man now made so weak by his illness …. My heart was breaking, but I was so grateful to do this small task for him.
The operation took five hours, but when he awoke from surgery, he was celebrating life. He felt great! However, the donors always have a worse time of it, and for the next three months I suffered excruciating pain. My husband had to feed me in bed because I couldn’t sit up.
But it was worth it.
I see how happy my brother is today. He always wanted to be a father, and now he has a beautiful little girl! Our family no longer celebrates his birthday or mine. We celebrate together on January 16, the day of our transplants.
I love my brother, and I love the fact that I could give him life. But even more than that, I love the fact that God knew from the beginning that Willie would need my kidney, so He gave me two, and made me a perfect match.
I still don’t know what came between us. Perhaps I never will. But it doesn’t matter. We have a new life together. And God knew this would happen all along.
No Strings Attached
By Idalia Dinzey
March 5th, 2026
“Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love ….” Romans 12:10
My brother hadn’t spoken to me for ten years, and every attempt I’d made to find out why just made him angrier. To this day, I have no idea what I did to drive him away, but he obviously wasn’t ready to speak to me.
I wracked my brain through those sleepless, tearful nights, and I made sure my two sons understood me when I told them, over and over again, “You two are brothers. You must love each other through thick and thin. Never turn your back on your brother.”
He missed my wedding, the birth of both of my sons—the most important events in a woman’s life—but I finally accepted that this was the way it was going to be, and I moved on.
Until the phone call.
My mother’s voice on the telephone made my heart stop. “Tita, your brother’s kidneys are failing. He’s going to die. Please come quickly.”
“I’ll be there, Mom,” I said, and in an instant, all my love for my big brother rushed from my heart into my conscious mind. His kidneys have failed, I repeated to myself as we drove north. He may need a kidney transplant. I’d signed up as an organ donor, but I honestly hadn’t considered that I might be donating one before I died.
“Honey, if my brother needs a kidney, I would like to give him one of mine. Is that okay?”
Johnny’s expression was a mixture of surprise and worry. “It’s okay with me, if that’s what you want to do,” he finally said after a long pause.
When we arrived, my dilemma became strong. I didn’t want to be a potential donor just because it might be the nice thing to do. I had two children, and what would happen if they needed one of my kidneys someday? I need a yes or no answer from you, Lord, I prayed. It will have to be a 100 percent match.
Three of my brother’s friends from work, along with my youngest brother and I went through the battery of tests. As I tried to lie still during my two-hour MRI test, my mind raced. Lord, I’m so scared. I need You to be with me now.
“We have a donor!” the transplant coordinator announced, as my heart pounded faster.
“Who is it?” my brother asked.
The coordinator then told us that my brother’s friends had all scored zero, and that my youngest brother had scored 50. And while that was enough of a match, I had scored 100 percent compatible. I was his match!
“Oh, no! Not my sister!” he cried out. “She’s got little kids. Her family needs her!”
Later that day, as he underwent emergency dialysis, I stood by watching him helplessly. At lunch time, he was shaking so badly he couldn’t feed himself.
“Willie, are you hungry?”
He nodded.
“Do you want me to feed you?”
He nodded again.
Oh God, I’m feeding my brother! This strong, independent man now made so weak by his illness …. My heart was breaking, but I was so grateful to do this small task for him.
The operation took five hours, but when he awoke from surgery, he was celebrating life. He felt great! However, the donors always have a worse time of it, and for the next three months I suffered excruciating pain. My husband had to feed me in bed because I couldn’t sit up.
But it was worth it.
I see how happy my brother is today. He always wanted to be a father, and now he has a beautiful little girl! Our family no longer celebrates his birthday or mine. We celebrate together on January 16, the day of our transplants.
I love my brother, and I love the fact that I could give him life. But even more than that, I love the fact that God knew from the beginning that Willie would need my kidney, so He gave me two, and made me a perfect match.
I still don’t know what came between us. Perhaps I never will. But it doesn’t matter. We have a new life together. And God knew this would happen all along.
THREE ANGELS BROADCASTING NETWORK DEVOTIONAL
No Strings Attached
By Idalia Dinzey
March 5th, 2026
“Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love ….” Romans 12:10
My brother hadn’t spoken to me for ten years, and every attempt I’d made to find out why just made him angrier. To this day, I have no idea what I did to drive him away, but he obviously wasn’t ready to speak to me.
I wracked my brain through those sleepless, tearful nights, and I made sure my two sons understood me when I told them, over and over again, “You two are brothers. You must love each other through thick and thin. Never turn your back on your brother.”
He missed my wedding, the birth of both of my sons—the most important events in a woman’s life—but I finally accepted that this was the way it was going to be, and I moved on.
Until the phone call.
My mother’s voice on the telephone made my heart stop. “Tita, your brother’s kidneys are failing. He’s going to die. Please come quickly.”
“I’ll be there, Mom,” I said, and in an instant, all my love for my big brother rushed from my heart into my conscious mind. His kidneys have failed, I repeated to myself as we drove north. He may need a kidney transplant. I’d signed up as an organ donor, but I honestly hadn’t considered that I might be donating one before I died.
“Honey, if my brother needs a kidney, I would like to give him one of mine. Is that okay?”
Johnny’s expression was a mixture of surprise and worry. “It’s okay with me, if that’s what you want to do,” he finally said after a long pause.
When we arrived, my dilemma became strong. I didn’t want to be a potential donor just because it might be the nice thing to do. I had two children, and what would happen if they needed one of my kidneys someday? I need a yes or no answer from you, Lord, I prayed. It will have to be a 100 percent match.
Three of my brother’s friends from work, along with my youngest brother and I went through the battery of tests. As I tried to lie still during my two-hour MRI test, my mind raced. Lord, I’m so scared. I need You to be with me now.
“We have a donor!” the transplant coordinator announced, as my heart pounded faster.
“Who is it?” my brother asked.
The coordinator then told us that my brother’s friends had all scored zero, and that my youngest brother had scored 50. And while that was enough of a match, I had scored 100 percent compatible. I was his match!
“Oh, no! Not my sister!” he cried out. “She’s got little kids. Her family needs her!”
Later that day, as he underwent emergency dialysis, I stood by watching him helplessly. At lunch time, he was shaking so badly he couldn’t feed himself.
“Willie, are you hungry?”
He nodded.
“Do you want me to feed you?”
He nodded again.
Oh God, I’m feeding my brother! This strong, independent man now made so weak by his illness …. My heart was breaking, but I was so grateful to do this small task for him.
The operation took five hours, but when he awoke from surgery, he was celebrating life. He felt great! However, the donors always have a worse time of it, and for the next three months I suffered excruciating pain. My husband had to feed me in bed because I couldn’t sit up.
But it was worth it.
I see how happy my brother is today. He always wanted to be a father, and now he has a beautiful little girl! Our family no longer celebrates his birthday or mine. We celebrate together on January 16, the day of our transplants.
I love my brother, and I love the fact that I could give him life. But even more than that, I love the fact that God knew from the beginning that Willie would need my kidney, so He gave me two, and made me a perfect match.
I still don’t know what came between us. Perhaps I never will. But it doesn’t matter. We have a new life together. And God knew this would happen all along.
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