40 Days of Water

Lent has officially begun, and most people likely choose not to participate in any
Lenten fasting or simply have not yet thought about what they'll be giving up.  For anyone in either of those places, I'd like to invite you to join me in a fast that will have an impact far beyond the 40 days of Lent.

I've participated in this before and will likely do so every year in the future.  I can't see any reason not to.  The fast is through blood:water mission and is titled 40 Days of Water.  The concept is simple.  There are millions of people in the world who lack access to clean drinking water.  In an effort to help them get access to the life source they desperately need, this Lent try drinking ONLY tap water.  Every time you find that you are choosing water over a beverage you normally would have purchased, keep track.  Write down the number of drinks and the amount you saved.  You can keep track online through the 40 Days website and even on your smartphone.  The rate at which this adds up will be shocking.  At the end of Lent, donate the total that you saved to blood:water and help impact lives of people in need.

In America we have a myriad of beverage options before us every day and can so easily take for granted something like clean drinking water.  But others don't.  They have only one supply of water and that supply is contaminated.  It makes them sick, and they know it, but they have to drink something.  Maybe they can get clean water, but it's miles away, so every morning wives and children walk to carry back the limited water they'll use that day.  That time they spend means they can't be in school, can't be preparing meals, and can't be working.  Not only does your contribution give clean water, but it may provide a way out of the vicious cycle that has kept these people helpless to change their situation.  For a staggering look at some numbers and facts, check this out.

Now I know that many of you are saying, "I can't live without my morning Starbucks," or "I need to have the caffeine from sodas throughout the day to keep me going."  Maybe you just don't like water.  No mater what the reason, I'd like to challenge you to give up your lifestyle for 40 days for the lives of others.  Literally.  Sure, you may be addicted to caffeine and you don't want to experience the withdrawal.  Or perhaps at the end of a work day you really like to unwind with a beer or glass of wine.  I understand your concerns, but are those things really worth depriving others of life?  With over 3.5 million people dying from water-related disease every year (that's 9,800 every day), can you stand by that choice?  Are you willing to say that your comfortable lifestyle is more important than another person's life?

Your 40 days could mean a lifetime for others.  I hope you'll join me in making this Lent a season of hope for others.