Water Snob

There is much preparation that needs to occur in this heart before I even consider stepping foot on Kenyan soil. My mind understands that I will see need in its most desperate state, and my heart is far from ready for that. When I begin to consider my current life, I realize that I live a very privileged life. I have all I need to comfortably live each day. I have all the food I want. I have a safe and comfortable place to rest my head every night. I have two bathrooms in my home with indoor plumbing. I have family whom I love and friends I adore. Really the list of blessings is endless.

And I wake each morning with an expectation that these things will continue unchanged. Forever.

As I sit here typing, I have two bottles of water sitting on my desk. This is not unusual for me. I carry water with me wherever I go. Water is plentiful. Water is cheap. And we have all the flavors of water we could want. In America, we use water for our lawns, to wash our cars and to hose down our patios. There seems to be an unlimited supply that comes from our hose bibs and our faucets. When was the last time you wondered if any water would come out when you turned on your faucet? I know. Me too.

Again, I wake each morning with an expectation that this will continue. Forever.

And here is where I need to confess that I have always (proudly) considered myself a "water snob". You see, I only drink bottled water. Because tap water is not good enough for me. I need more than just clean water, I also need it to be placed in a convenient bottle for me to just grab 'n go. Even more than that, I need it to be refrigerated and cold.

What I really need is a smack upside the head. With a 2x4. And a huge dose of perspective.

In just 6 short weeks, I will be in the slums of Kibera where children have never even SEEN clean water, let alone tasted it. There will be no bottles of water for me to buy at the corner store. But what I will see, will be beautiful faces with smiles that will melt my heart. Beautiful faces that have never been washed with clean water before. Smiles that have never been brushed with clean water. Dear God, please forgive me for so ungratefully expecting what I do not deserve, while others go without. Forgive me for never giving them a thought before now. Prepare my eyes to see things differently and my heart to absorb it honestly.

The preparation has begun. And it will continue. I only hope my heart will survive the journey that leads me to Kenya. It will be a whole other journey once I arrive.

But first things first, I am going to fill my glass with some tap water and be thankful for it.