water is life

This week, I am going to share some excerpts about water from the book The Hole in our Gospel written by Richard Stearns, president of World Vision.

"Most of you began this morning with a hot, clean shower. You brushed your teeth, filled a glass with water, and took a few vitamins. Perhaps you brewed a cup of coffee or drank a glass of juice with breakfast. And each day you run your washing machines and dishwashers and take your toilets for granted. You probably have one, two, or even three bathrooms in your home. You may also have a sprinkler system to water your lawn and garden. Your refrigerator is filled with cold drinks, bottled water, and maybe even ice-cold water dispensed from its door. If you have children, they probably haven't spent even one hour of their lives fetching water for the family to drink or to bathe with. And I'll wager that neither you nor your children have ever had a sick day due to unclean water- unless you have traveled to another country and picked up one of the many waterborne bacteria or parasites.

...imagine for a moment that when you wake up tomorrow, all the water-related fixtures and appliances have been removed from your home. The sinks, toilets, bathtubs, showers gone. Dishwasher, washing machine, garden hoses, sprinklers-all gone. Let's say, though, that everything else about your house remains the same. Still, how would your life change with just this one difference?" p.136 The Hole in Our Gospel.

Consider shutting off your running water for one day in your family. What did you experience? Maybe you've had to go multiple days without running water due to a problem that affected your ability to run water in your home. What was that like?