More Than Water

What if today we came back to the obvious, but often overlooked truth:  water is nonnegotiable.

Crops need water, your houseplants need water, your pets need water, your fancy ice maker needs water.  And so too do you.

Like I said, it’s pretty obvious…But how often do we actually stop and think about this fact? For most of us, not often enough.

Sometimes the statistics help clear the thinking.  More than 840,000 people die each year from disease related to unsafe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene.  Let’s shock ourselves a bit more: 41 children die every hour because of these conditions.  To put it differently, 360,000 kids under the age of 5 would be alive EACH year if we addressed these factors.

Water is a nonnegotiable.  Without it, disease ravages through a village.  Women and young girls endanger themselves to journey to unsafe and exposed sources for even unclean water.  Children miss school because of preventable illnesses.  And hope in the young and old shrivels up and dies. It’s more than just water.

What if something changed?

What if we could see conditions radically alter in the course of our lifetime?  What if organizations and people around the world worked together to solve this one global issue? And what if the followers of Jesus took the lead?

The good news is that it’s already happening and I would urge you to consider being a part of one of the great stories God is writing today.

Wouldn’t it be something if our children’s children heard the tales of how people across the planet actually did something good, like tackle the world water crisis …together?  And wouldn’t it be glorious to tell them of your small part in what God did?

My challenge to you today is this: Throughout your day, notice every time you have access to clean water.

When you’re making coffee, taking a shower, washing clothes, watering your plants…be confronted by this precious gift and then pray about it. The clean water we use is a privilege.

The cold water you drink today is worth considering as well.  Taste it.  Take the time to feel it going down your throat. Sense how your body responds. And then GIVE THANKS to the God who designed our bodies for such a quenching.  Thank Him too for the blessing of a cup of water.

And finally, ask yourself (and God)…how can I be a part of the solution?