Water.....
It's a precious, life giving commodity.....
When we lived in the USA I took water for granted....turn on the tap, water comes out.
Not so here. There are times city-wide the water is not flowing.
And we have times the water pump system for our house breaks down - and we revert to taking bucket baths and using a minimum of water for washing dishes until either the pressure of the city water system builds up high enough to get water into the house or the water pump system gets fixed.
Recently our water system for the house was broken. We had about 2 1/2 days with no water flowing in the house during the day. As I was washing dishes the other day with about 12 ounces of water for the washing and about 36 ounces for rinsing, I was pondering verses in the Bible that speak of water....and I was also pondering thankfulness, how easy life is in the USA, and contentment.
John 4:14..."The water that I will give him will become in him
a spring of water welling up to eternal life.
Did you know in Genesis 1 and 2 water is referred to ten times!
There are 625 references to water in the Bible.
Water is referred to as life giving (examples - Psalm 1:3 He is like a tree planted
by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season,)
It's a covering, (Psalm 18:11 - He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him, thick clouds dark with water.)
It's a metaphor (_Psalm 22:11 I am poured out like water,_ )
It's life-giving (_Psalm 23:2 He leads me beside still waters..._)
It's ministry (Matthew 10:42 And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple,
truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.")
Water is a life-giving, eternally refreshing love and mercy from Christ our Saviour....
Revelations 22:16 "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star."
17 The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come." And let the one who hears say, "Come." And let the one who is thirsty come;
let the one who desires take the water of life without price.*
Thinking about the love of my Saviour for me helps me rest in contentment and thankfulness as I walk through the moments of daily life.
1 Timothy 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain
1 Thess. 5:18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
I am so thankful for our life here in the Philippines. I'm thankful for the many experiences we've had and continue to have. I thank God for all the ways He leads us.
But to be honest I am tired emotionally. There is something hard about living on the mission field - hard to put into words - unless one has lived overseas - one website calls it emotional exhaustion "The exhaustion is more than physical it is emotional, "compassion fatigue." You feel drained. You feel used up.
You feel overwhelmed by the needs people come with. It is not that you don't want to help, you just do not have what it takes
to help any more." (http://www.missionarycare.com/brochures/br_burnout.htm)
Not furloughing for 9 years hasn't helped with that. Though we don't regret our non-traditional approach to missionary life. The care and fostering of James and Jerard and the adoption of James has been worth it. But most of us are ready to get to the USA, to re-establish connections and relationships with family and friends.
And I am thankful for His Word, His life giving bread and eternal thirst-quenching water of life.
All these thoughts cascaded in my mind as I did dishes in a scarcity of water, thanking God that He never runs out, He never sleeps nor slumbers, He sustains and He provides the water of life.
Alleluia, what a Saviour!!!!