About a month and a half ago, I blogged about committing to participate in blood:water mission's "40 Days of Water" challenge. I stopped purchasing all beverages (and chose water instead) for the 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter so that I could set aside the money I would have spent to pay for Africans to have fresh water. (See my post where I wrote about this here.)
I wanted to report that after adding up the savings, I was able to contribute $103.50 to this non-profit. Using their calculation, I will be providing 103 and 1/2 African people with clean water for 1 year. I like to think that the 1/2 person is just a small person. Maybe a child. With a name and a face and a thirst.
And I have to admit, I felt like a selfish, spoiled baby half the time when I wanted to buy myself an iced tea or something so badly. Well, I guess I didn't just feel like one. I am one. I can buy all kinds of things to eat and drink whenever I want to...and not just sustenance and water. I can buy indulgent, delicious, extra stuff. Ice cream trips with the kids. Uncountable numbers of Starbucks visits. In-N-Out when I don't have time to make dinner. I am so spoiled, and try to be so thankful for the many luxuries and pleasures my life affords.
I don't pretend to have any idea what it is like to have to fetch my family brown water in a jug. But I still care that someone has to. And that someone may be a 35 year old woman with two kids like I have, just born there and not here. It's my responsibility to know and to care and to love, in the small way that I can. In my otherwise insulated world, one very small commitment will make a very big difference to a few people. Even if it was just for that 1/2 person, it would have been worth it.
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