You’ve heard it time and time again, “God has a plan.” You may have even heard stories from people who had created a grand, detailed plan for their life, but quickly realized God had something else in mind for them.

It’s usually unexpected.

It’s usually not popular.

But in the end, it’s worth it.

This was the case for one of Life Centers’ center directors. For several years, it had been on Beth’s* heart to donate a kidney to someone in need. She had a friend who donated a kidney a few years ago, and she immediately knew, “This is something I could do. I can see myself doing this.” Years went by, and the opportunity never presented itself for Beth to donate, but the feeling of wanting to help someone in that capacity never went away. God had put this on her heart, and she knew it.

Recently, her son was scrolling through Instagram and saw a post one of his friends made about their dad, Mark* needing a kidney. Not knowing his mom had always wanted to help someone in this way, he mentioned this to her because Mark was an old family acquaintance. Beth’s son and Mark’s son played sports together years ago, and that was the extent of their relationship. Not long after Beth’s son told her the news, she read the story in the Indy Star about Mark needing a kidney.

She felt God’s tug on her heart urging her to act. She thought, “Well, why not at least see if I’m a match.” Beth had blood work done, days went by, and she finally received the phone call. She wasn’t a match. The nurse on the other end of the phone said, “Even though you aren’t a match, you could still help him.” Then the nurse proceeded to tell her about the Paired Kidney Exchange program. She told Beth that she and Mark could enter the program together as a pair, and this program would search for cases throughout the United States where the donor in each pair is compatible with the recipient in another pair (or multiple pairs). By exchanging donors, a compatible match for both recipients can be found.

After pushback from her family, (Beth’s kids worried about their mom, Beth’s husband worried about his wife) Beth agreed. This was bigger than her. She knew it. Her kids knew it. Her husband knew it, and they didn’t want to interfere with God’s plan. Beth explained, “Why wouldn’t I? Why wouldn’t I help someone have an abundant life?”

Beth endured 6 months of evaluations before she was entered into the program in May as Mark’s “pair.” Mark could not have entered this program without someone pairing with him. When Beth decided to do this, she was very careful with whom she told. She didn’t want accolades. She didn’t want the attention. “It was God, not me,” Beth said. Without Mark knowing who his pair was, he was entered into the Paired Kidney Exchange program with Beth.

Two months had passed. Beth and her family sold and bought a house in July, and she gets the call. Beth is told she and Mark have been matched; surgery is in two weeks. Two weeks. For Beth, this may not have been the ideal time to undergo surgery. She was moving her family into a new house, and packing up their old one, but it was God’s ideal time. “God asked me to do one thing, just one thing, so I did it. It didn’t matter if it worked with my timeline, I knew God would take care of the details. I just had to say yes to Him.”

Because Beth said “yes” to God, 18 lives were changed. Nine people in grave need of a kidney were donated one through the chain Beth and Mark were a part of. “This was God’s orchestration,” said Beth. There’s no other way to explain it.

Beth’s kidney went to a young woman in New York City. Mark’s kidney came from a man in Maryland.

Today, Mark knows it was Beth who paired with him to be able to enter this life saving program. Had she not, Mark could still be waiting for a match. Beth agreed to meet Mark at the family’s request. They are in close contact today and will forever be intertwined through this beautiful orchestration God fulfilled.

Has God shown you a plan for your life that took you by surprise? Share it in the comments below!

*Names have been changed