Expectations (Intern Insights)
We live a life full of expectations. In our comfy, first world nation, we exist in a constant state of expecting things to happen every day, most times without even realizing it. You may think that is an over exaggeration, but I would disagree. Expectations pervade almost every facet of our day to day lives. Do you expect your alarm clock to wake you up in the morning? Do you expect to receive a paycheck every few weeks from your employer? When you go to sleep at night do you expect the food in your pantry to still be there in the morning? My guess is that your answer to all of these questions is “Yes, of course!”
But I would venture to say that in today’s American culture, one expectation triumphs as the most prevalent and widespread of them all: Water. Think about it… We constantly expect water to come from the various sources we interact with day in and day out. We use water in the bathroom to shower, wash our hands, brush our teeth, and use the toilet. We throw our clothes in the washer and water flows through concealed pipes to clean them without us barely lifting a finger! Water allows us to have that morning cup of coffee. It cleans our dishes. Our flowers drink it to keep from withering.
But most importantly, humans consume water on a daily basis. It is only the most necessary fluid to ever exist that our body relies upon in order to continue functioning properly (no big deal). Are you starting to get the picture? We need it, our very well-being depends on it, and we expect it to be there each day, no matter what.
The sad truth, though, is that millions of people across Africa do not have access to clean, safe, drinking water. Many are forced to consume germs and bacteria every day because sadly they have no other choice. And if sanitary water is available, sometimes a few miles walk in both directions is required to obtain it. Combined with their illiteracy problem and lack of personal hygiene, this serious issue makes it difficult for Africans, women and children especially, to stay in good health. They lack the education to learn how to live healthy lives as well as the basic resources to put any gained knowledge to good use. It’s an endless cycle that needs to be broken through divine intervention. Let’s go to the Lord in prayer today and present this request to Him.
Heavenly Father, be with those in Africa who don’t have access to this valuable, life-saving resource that we in the U.S. simply expect to be available each day. Give us urgency about the problem. Prompt people to see this desperate need and to want to step up and do something about it. Lord, open up fountains of fresh water in areas that are in dire need of it. Allow avenues for men, women, and children to gain knowledge about how to live healthy lives as well as how to survive when clean water is not readily available. Use Project Hannah and Women of Hope as vessels to impart that education to people while offering them the even more vital information about God’s great love for them. Thank you for hearing our prayers. Amen.