Saturday, 22 March 2008 - Water

Dear God:

Today, World Water Day, I am thankful for the safe, clean water.

Filthy water cannot be washed. ~African proverb
We never know the worth of water till the well is dry. ~Thomas Fuller

Please forgive me for taking this vital, life giving resource for granted and for wasting precious gallons. Each time I turn on a faucet or flush the toilet or water my garden, remind me that over a billion people do not have ready access to a source of safe water, making me one of the most fortunate people on Earth. Arrest my carelessness when it comes to wasting water and other natural resources and embolden my actions so they mirror those of a steadfast and caring steward of the environment.

Water – the most basic element on earth. Without water, human life doesn’t exist. And without safe water, neither does good health. For most of us, it’s a short walk to the faucet in the kitchen, or bottled water in the refrigerator. But for more than a billion people – about one in six people on earth – getting safe water each day is no easy task. Women and children around the world walk 200 million hours every day for water – water that often comes from a polluted source.

The effects of unclean water are devastating. Every 15 seconds, a child dies from a water-borne disease, the leading cause of death and illness in the world. Lack of access to safe water leads to a perpetual cycle of disease, death and lost productivity.

March 22, has been designated World Water Day – an international day of observance and action to draw attention to the plight of those without access to safe drinking water.

~source: http://www.water.org/WorldWaterDay

For this blessing, I am grateful.

Amen.