Turn on the tap and what happens? Water flows.

Most of us don’t even worry about drinking what comes out of our faucet. We have a shower and are clean. We wash our clothes. We don’t even notice the clean clothes until they’re not clean and there’s nothing more to wear.

Water makes the difference.

I’m very thankful for water and I believe you are also. But we rarely think about it…

It could almost be said that having water at our disposal is too easy to really be thankful for it.

Until it’s not easy…

Our son and daughter-in-love participated in a non-profit video shoot in Haiti. Part of the trek included time far up in the hills where there is no running water.

People walk down, down, down, through the bush to the river far below to collect their daily water. Often it’s the children who carry heavy buckets back up the hills to home.

One day, Alex accompanied these children to film the process.

He chose to wear sandals/flipflops. As he tells the story he usually pauses to tell the listeners that wearing flip-flops in that terrain is not a good idea!

They got to the river and filled their buckets and jugs.

The group collected their water at the river and then began the uphill walk on the rough trail back to the village, carrying their jugs.

Half-way back up Alex stumbled and fell to the side of the path. His feet and legs were muddy and messy from the fall.

He began brushing at the dirt.

Then, before he could react, one of the young boys, carrying his family’s water in a heavy jug, poured that precious water over Alex’s legs.

The boy used his water…

That young boy didn’t hesitate to share this precious resource.

Alex says he wanted to tell him to save the water that they’d just walked 30 minutes to collect, but the boy gave too quickly

Think about it.

In a place where water makes all the difference (just like it does here), yet the effort is so much greater than turning on a faucet, would you give so quickly?

Water makes the difference. But first we need a giving heart.

Yes. Let’s be thankful for how easy it is to turn on our faucets and have as much water as we need.

But let’s also use our thankfulness to nurture a giving heart.

We know people – today – who need our help, and maybe it’s going to take more effort than turning on a faucet… can we make the difference?

water makes the difference - but so does a giving heart

– – This is part of 30 Days of Thankfulness.

At the end of October 2020, everyone can download a free document with all the prompts on Thankfulness along with some digital extras.

But there’s more! One person with a USA mailing address will win a handmade package of journaling cards and tags – to enter just leave a comment on one of the posts in this series. November 2nd, 2020 I’ll draw a random winner from those who comment.

You can read and see more HERE.