Strangest thing.
My son, Cole, when given the option of a soft drink (usually Coke, rootbeer or Sprite) he will always choose… water. It’s not my expert parenting, it’s just how he’s wired.
And yet we stand on a planet where over 1 billion people would love, this very minute, to be able to choose water – clean, drinkable water.
As you continue to walk with Jesus toward the Cross, imagine if you actually had the opportunity to literally, physically be with Him 2000 years ago. What attributes of Jesus would you notice most? I have a feeling you might be surprised at His physical appearance – probably nothing like the Jesus we see on the movie screen or posters. I think you might also be struck by His touch. You would undoubtedly witness an unparalleled compassion for other people - people with less.
Less health. Less food. Less hope.
How might we embrace this example of Jesus Christ? How might we draw closer to being like the One who gave not only water to drink, but living water? 
We touch people.
Let us experience life in ways that other people experience life… perhaps then we can also learn how to find an empathy, a Christ-centered compassion for others who have less.
Less water for example. Consider the following:
• 1.8 million children die every year as a result of diseases caused by unclean water/poor sanitation.
• Providing water and hygiene education reduces the number of deaths caused by diarrhoeal diseases by an average of 65%.
• Water-related disease is the second biggest killer of children worldwide, after acute respiratory infections like tuberculosis.
Challenge #11: Drink water. Drink ONLY water for two weeks. As part of this challenge, set aside the money you would have normally used for soft drinks, coffee, etc. Donate your extra change to the collection can in the Teen Wing. All money will be donated to Living Water International. If you accept this challenge, make it known in the comment box below.
I know this is a tough challenge for some of you! But we are so blest to live in a place with clean water. Drink it in with the realization that not everyone enjoys this blessing. Exercise and test your compassion... as if you only had a few weeks left to live.
"Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed you, or thirsty, and give You something to drink?" "Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me." - Matthew 25:35-40
Tomorrow’s Challenge #12: GREEN
NOTE: Regarding Living Water International, I have been in contact with their project coordinators and am attempting to arrange for GPS locales of their various well-drilling projects in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. When we travel to Haiti in July, we may be fortunate enough to witness the work that this wonderful organization has been able to do! Check out LWI: http://www.water.cc/
sweet. i love water. this is still going to be hard though.
ReplyDeleteDylon
ReplyDeleteWater for me is in the top three,but I might forget halfway through the challenge
i accept, this will be good for me, i dink soda/tea/non-water way too much.
ReplyDeletenot a challenge for me. water is all i drink anyways.
ReplyDeleteONLY WATER!!!! WHAT THE?! I'm so doing it.
ReplyDeleteI'm doing it... although I really should start reading the blog before I have my first meal of the day. However I dont know how much money i'm going to have seeing as how my lent is fast food and I dont eat out all that much... but I konw when it comes to things like this it takes very little to make a huge impact.
ReplyDeleteI am going to have to pray for this one because i drink a soda everyday and powerade please pray for me...
ReplyDeleteBlake
this. is. going. to. be. so. difficult.
ReplyDeletei'm not sure if i can.
but i will try.
i don't like water at all really though.
I'm in.
ReplyDeleteWell, since this was my choice for Lent, I'm in! It's hard the first week, folks, but gets easier after that :)
ReplyDeleteIt's worth a shot. I'll try.
ReplyDelete-hannah martin
This is actually taking the "I won't have any sugar or sweets" for lent to the next level. I have done very well over the past week with no sugar on any of my food or in my drinks. I can do this too. I normally don't purchase soft drinks but I do have some change that I can donate.
ReplyDeleteThanks for yet another spiritual challenge! Gotta love Him!!!
(leslie)
ReplyDeleteok. i'm in!
yaya water! :)
ReplyDeleteWater is generally my choice for beverage everyday, so I thought this wouldn't be a big deal. However, I realized I REALLY like to have a small glass of OJ in the morning and a glass of milk with lunch and dinner. So, this might be a bit more of a challenge than I thought. I'm choosing to give all of that up and drink water for 2 weeks. Hope I find some use for the brand new gallon of skim milk in the fridge that no one in my family but me drinks. I'd hate for it to go to waste. :)
ReplyDelete~Natalie
Oh man. This is HARD. My mom had a cup and it had something in it earlier today, and I was REALLY thirsty. I thought it was water, so I took a sip of it...it wasn't...it was definately my most favorite drink ever. (DR. Pepper) but I just swallowed that one sip and then sat it down and got my own water...This is harder than I thought it would be.
ReplyDeleteI've been wanting to drink more water. I'm going to do this. I just hope I don't forget...
ReplyDeleteJD why do you have to come up with a harder one every day
ReplyDeletebut still i will do it
Can I "spike" my water with lemon? Or does it have to be fresh from the tap to emphasize the blessing of clean, chlorinated water available to us 24/7?
ReplyDeleteAnyway... the mornings sans-coffee are most difficult. I almost don't know what to do with myself but I definitely can track how much a pound of coffee and flavored creamer would cost for two weeks. Hello jug... here is almost $14!
I only drink water and coffee - which I usually brew at home - anyway. I'll pass on my occasional afternoon Caribou coffee in honor of this challenge, but not my home-brewed coffee. I'm telling myself it's the equivalent of JD's keeping his protein drinks but making them with water. :)
ReplyDelete:)
ReplyDeleteAnonymous
ReplyDeleteyea water
Faith
this one has not been terribly hard because i gave up soda for lent and pretty much all i drink is soda and water.
ReplyDelete