Yesterday our neighborhood water company started some work on the water lines. We were warned ahead of time that this could cause some issues with water pressure or even discoloration in the water for the next 3 weeks. I pretty much blew off the message I received about it without a second thought.
Until last night, that is.
When my daughter went to brush her teeth and the water wouldn’t turn on. At all. I thought to myself, “They said there would be issues with pressure, not that there would be NO pressure.” and then we laughed about it and moved on. Thankfully we had a couple cases of bottled water on hand from a party this past weekend, so we told her to grab a bottle of water and pretend we were camping. Later last night, our water was back on. The pressure wasn’t great and there was air in the lines, but it was on. It didn’t even cause a disruption in our day. We went without water for less than an hour.
This morning as I got in the shower and noticed the water pressure was half what it normally is, I couldn’t help but think about how blessed we are to even have water. Clean, fresh water at the turn of a knob anytime we want it day or night. I don’t ever have to walk further than about 15 feet to get to a water source in my home. I even fill up water bottles to take it with me wherever I go. I stood there looking at the clean water flowing from the shower head and thought about how fortunate I am to be able to stand there using as much water as I need to get clean, and some just because it’s nice to stand in a hot shower. I don’t have to worry about it getting in my mouth and getting a life threatening illness. I don’t have to worry about the bacteria getting in the fresh cut on my hand.
I don’t know why I’m fortunate enough to have been born here in America where clean water is more of an expectation than a luxury, but I do know that I should stop more often to truly be thankful for such things that we consider so basic. I know that I am to do my part to help others, to give to others just as the Lord has done for me. When we look at our blessings, we should be reminded to reach out and bless others.
In Matthew 25:40, Jesus says “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” When we share our blessings with others, we are also sharing his love.
In John 4, Jesus is talking to a woman at the well and he says, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
Paul, when talking to the Philippians, says “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”
Jesus is our living water. He says that if we drink of that water, we will never thirst. He is that clean, fresh water pouring out of the faucet – available to us anytime day or night. All we have to do is call on Him and He will be there. If we keep our eyes on Him and make Him the priority in our lives, we will learn to be content no matter what because He provides us with a JOY that can come from nothing else.
If you want to make a difference in the life of someone without easy access to clean water, consider making a donation to World Vision. They are an amazing organization working to provide clean water and improved sanitation to impoverished areas of the world where so many are dying from waterborne illness. Thank you!