Bottle

One of the things I am trying to do the month of May is budget for food ($14/week) and drink water... a lot.

Water is delicious.

As I am getting ready to go to Haiti, I am more aware of how precious water is.

I have a bottle collection:

Each bottle means something to me. The water bottle in the front is from my senior year of college. I was at a winter retreat with high school students (shout out to my Mahoning kids -- yes, I am still in touch with some of the students -- freshmen when I met them and now in COLLEGE!).

The speaker was talking about David's Mighty Men (2 Samuel 23.8-29 and 1 Chronicles 11.10-47). He gave everyone a water bottle and asked us to think of the most important thing in our lives right now. He challenged us to pour the water (and our problem/fear/worry/anxiety/most important thing in our lives) out before the Lord.

To get the reference, check out this section of 2 Samuel:

¹⁵ David longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!” ¹⁶ So the three mighty warriors broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem and carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out before the Lord. ¹⁷ “Far be it from me, Lord, to do this!” he said. “Is it not the blood of men who went at the risk of their lives?” And David would not drink it.

David was super thirsty. He had great friends who risked their lives to get him a drink. But David poured it out before the Lord.

It was a sacrifice, as I am sure that David really wanted to drink the water.

My trip to Haiti is more an act of obedience than anything else.
I didn't even have to think about it.
The opportunity was presented and it didn't take long for me to say yes.
I know God has great things in store for next week!

I could be comfortable just staying at home.
Right now Haiti is a country far away from my home.
I know some people who have been there, but it is very impersonal to me.
I don't know anyone who lives in Haiti. I can't see names or faces... yet.
I can take showers whenever I want.
Water is free and safe to drink... and I have enough money to buy other drinks than  water.

So I am putting aside my comfort zone and going.
For my eyes to be open to new aspects of God, myself, and others.
For my heart to break in a new way so that God can use it.... sometimes our hearts don't NEED to heal from brokenness. We just need to act on what we know about what breaks our hearts.

Here's to a new adventure with God!