Through the death of two children, kidney failure, and two kidney transplants God has painted an extraordinary masterpiece of his infinite love in the lives of Gail and Clem Schmidt. 

Clem was raised in the Nazarene Church; Gail, in the Catholic Church. Clem’s father died when he was sixteen. That’s when he walked away from the church and from God. Gail left the Catholic Church after leaving her parents’ home. High school sweethearts, the two married immediately after graduation. 

Nineteen-year-old Gail was eight months pregnant when she was in a tragic car accident. Their baby didn't survive. Though they lost the baby, their commitment to each other never wavered.

Three years passed before Kimberly was born. Their son, Chad, came along three years later. Devoting themselves to their young family, Clem and Gail carried on without God. “We were living in the world – and from that perspective – everything in our lives was great.” Clem recalls.

Chad was three when diagnosed with a rare liver disease, leaving his medical team puzzled. During an unrelated medical procedure, Gail was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease (PKD). Both kidneys were covered with cysts, weighing eight pounds each. Doctors identified a genetic link between the two conditions.

Clem and Gail shouldered caregiving and parenting for six years. Embracing the primary caregiving role, Gail ignored her own diagnosis. Chad’s condition grew unmanageable. “Caregiving is hard.” Gail recalls. Gripped with fear – her desire to draw closer to God smoldered like a hot ember in a fading fire. She prayed for a miracle.  Chad was in and out of the hospital for an entire year until approved for a liver transplant. He died in surgery. “That’s what changed my life. That’s when God came and disrupted me, drawing me to Him” Gail recalls.

Still living together, grief drove a wedge between them. Clem delved into work. Gail sought solace in God.  Kim was 14 years old when she lost her brother. “We didn’t know the full impact it was having on her until years later.”

“I don’t believe I ever really grieved the loss of our first baby until Chad died.  God took me through all of this so I could be steady. Now I know that God has taken me through everything.” Gail explains.  Craving the familiarity of the Catholic Church, Gail found the courage to attend only when a teenage boy invited her.  A burning desire to rekindle a spiritual connection with God drove her back to church.  “That’s when the Lord  told me very clearly – ‘I have forgiven you.’  “God showed us through his perseverance how much he loved us and wanted us to be with him.”

Gail was told she could not receive the sacraments until she brought Clem into the Catholic church. Despite her persistence, Clem resisted.  He eventually gave in but never felt he belonged. Clem felt drawn to the small Nazarene church around the corner from their home, there he rededicated his life to the Lord. Gail began attending with him and Dobson Ranch Nazarene Church, (now Crossroads) became their permanent church home.

Both Gail’s kidneys were failing. She needed a transplant. Once diagnosed and confirmed for a transplant, extensive medical testing is necessary to gauge potential success. Registration in the national transplant waiting list is a key step. Ninety-two percent of the registrants are seeking a kidney, The wait can extend to three to five years.  An alternative is a healthy “living” donor with two healthy kidneys and a perfect match with the transplant candidate. 

Gail and Clem shared this with their Crossroads family. One couple, Linda and Mike Sheldon felt an urging to help. Mother’s Day 1999 Linda offered the gift of life to her friend. She was a perfect match! One year later, Linda gave up one of her kidneys, extending Gail’s life for ten years.

This kind of love, according to the devotional reading, is “driven by selflessness that leads the one who loves to voluntarily do what no one has a right to expect or ask.  ”Followers of Jesus are called to love one another with chesed (Hebrew) and agape (Greek) love. Chesed love has many descriptive words mirroring the fruit of the spirit; devotion, grace, tenderness, steadfastness, and purity. Agape love cannot exist without Chesed Love. The two intertwine giving us a glimpse into God’s loving character.

Love in action poured out in this way enabled Gail and Clem to resume a relatively normal life. Kimberly stood by watching as God transformed the lives of her parents. Experiencing God’s loving character in action has given her assurance she too can trust Him.

Years later, Gail's transplant began to fail. Four living donors were tested, none were a match.  Mike Sheldon, Linda’s husband, felt an urge to volunteer for testing. Miraculously, he too was a perfect match. Fourteen years ago, Mike gave Gail her second kidney, extending her life once again. This extraordinary act of love from both Linda and Mike mirrored God’s enduring love. 

Caring for someone we love who has fallen ill or is unable to manage alone invites followers of Jesus Christ to respond with sacrificial love, mirroring his sacrifice for us. Putting aside one’s own desires for another is chesed love. Gail and Clem have intentionally chosen to love one another in this way, an outward demonstration of their love for God. God has upheld them with his unfailing love, despite deep heartache. Their lives have been filled with God’s people selflessly offering His agape love to them. 

Through loss, illness, and trials, Gail and Clem’s marriage reflects God’s steadfast love. Gail continues her treatments. Clem remains by her side. Together, they lean on their faith, grateful for God’s guidance and the sacrificial love shown to them by others.

They trust in His plan no matter what the future brings.