The Gift of Water

We take the gift of water for granted. We have water all over America and we have running water that is so convenient in our homes. We do not know what it is like to need to walk long distances to find water. We even have washing machines with hot and cold water; showers with hot and cold water; dishwashers with water hot enough to clean our dishes and silverware, etc. And we take this for granted.

There are many in our world who have no running water; they have no clean water; they cannot drink the water they have. I had just a small experience in Chile. Although I visited two communities who did not have any running water, they did have rain barrels and were able to boil water to drink. I did not live in either of those communities but I was superior for two years in the poorest region of Chile and we did have a real problem with our water one of those years. Although Coquimbo is on the ocean, just a few blocks from our wooden house built by the priests next to the Church, there was real desert. One year it rained in the desert. This was unusual and there were no water filters so suddenly we had only muddy water. We were fortunate to have running water as many of our neighbors did not. However, what to do with the brown stuff that came out of the faucet? We washed in it; our towels were brown but we were clean. We let the mud settle, took off the top to boil for drinking, saved the next part for washing dishes and rinsing our clothes and we used the rest to clean and the mud at the bottom was thrown out and we would begin again. It was hard work to be able even to have a drink. I marveled at some of my girl scouts who lived in shacks with no water and who would appear in clean white blouses.
I guess I started on this today as I was thinking of how much I take for granted,. Then, I was also thinking of the living water that flows from the Heart of Christ and how I also forget to thank for His great love and mercy!