H2O

One of those days when I was actually going to post on something else, and I realize that when I am in ministry...I need to be a little careful about what I DO post. Was very saddened to hear about a lady who got arrested yesterday or today for an elaborate "scam" that went on for years. If you knew the whole story, you would know why this was upsetting. But as the whole story ISNT out yet, I am going to save the topic of scams and fraud for another day when I can run my post by someone else before hitting publish, and will post about something you all seem to find ordinary.

Water.

You may ask, why blog about water? We all have it. That clear stuff that comes out of our faucets...our toilets...and our showers. We drink it, bathe in it, brush our teeth with it, and wash dishes with it. Most of us have been that little kid (or maybe teenager) at the restaurant who bemoaned the fact that we were ordering water with our meals when what we really wanted was a glass of pop (or soda or coke or whatever you prefer to call it...but it is really called pop--you are welcome to engage me on a debate on what it's name is later...but I call it pop,lol.) And for those of you who like a little excitement to your water, you can buy it bottled, flavored, carbonated...and you can even buy drops and powders to make your water taste like juice, Koolaid, or the nasty stuff you have to drink before having a medical procedure done. We swim in it, we splash in it, it falls from the sky, makes our flowers and our food grow, and basically we take the fact that we even have it for granted. You see, that second sentence was a lie. Yes, I am allowed to lie--as long as I explain myself. It's my blog. I lied when I said we all have it. Not everyone has water. Or maybe I should say not everyone has CLEAN water.

Recently, I was reminded of the fact that I take my water for granted. Funny thing was, it was around the time everyone was posting about World Water Day that this happened....last Wednesday to be exact. We had some plumbing issues in the house I live in...which resulted in some noisy chaos and a not so lovely hole in my ceiling. After the repairman left...one of my housemates and I walked through the house to assess the "damage". The hall bathroom had tape across it and a sign about not to use because the drain was disconnected. The master bathroom had no shower at all. And one toilet seat was left up (and I live with all girls so that was definitely NOT one of us who did such a dastardly deed as to leave a seat up). And it left just one shower...mine for the whole house to use until the workers could return in less than 24 hours to fix the upstairs showers. I was headed to church, so asked my housemate if they could use the shower before 10 PM (I had already used it) so then people wouldn't be coming and going while I am sleeping. Then shortly after, I just had to laugh.

The fact that it's even slightly inconvenient to live in a one-shower house for less than 24 hours is kind of telling. The fact that we laughed in mock disgust because a toilet seat was left up is also very telling. In the US, you can't live in a house that does not have a working toilet and shower. It's illegal and against the building code. In other parts of the world, not all houses have toilets. Sometimes they are outside in a little outbuilding and you have to pour a bucket of water in to flush. On most overseas trips I have been on, the toilet paper goes in the trash....not the toilet...unless you want to...ahem..."go fishing" after which you will always remember to throw your tissue in the trash can. We also live in the country where people actually sit on the porcelain throne. Finding a toilet with a seat on it is not a given in all countries. Yet we make such a big deal when a guy comes in and forgets to be chivalrous and return the seat to it's proper closed position after using it. As for showers, if you have some type of showering facility...even one...consider yourself blessed. Many people in other parts of the world do not have even one shower. And there are three of them in this house...yet sharing has to be done on my time...how selfish is that?

I write this to remind you that if you have running water at all in your house, be grateful. If you had a shower today, thank The Lord. If you need to clean your bathroom (I know mine is due for a cleaning)...smile when you clean it because it's there. You don't have to go outside regardless of the weather and then go back and pour water down it. If the water is too cold or too hot, or whatever...it's water and it's running through your pipes and out your faucet. Be thankful for the everyday and the ordinary. We take so much for granted. We really do. It's selfish and embarrassing how ungrateful we are for the little blessings in life.