What am I Overflowing?

Enroute to a conference in Vancouver, four of us in a rental car meticulously packed as one of us literally has bags from Africa where she has been for five months.

I have come to not only cherish but seek out moments in which I can get the freshest report possible from those who are eyewitnesses to events, people or places. I know even for myself when asked about something for the first time, I will often give a more vivid description/specific details than when asked the fifth time. Sometimes thoughts can be forgotten over time as well.

This woman shares much about Africa and the people with such enthusiasm! Yet what I find most remarkable is in five months, how deeply the culture continues to weigh on her. She seems to have these simple yet built in safety mechanisms, along with an appreciation for things we completely take for granted or don’t even bother to give a second thought to.

As she waits in Subway for a glass of water, the lady serving her turns on the tap and leaves it running for a bit until it turns cold. It was if red alert was going off in this young woman as she had trained herself, even subconsciously, that just couldn’t happen. Now her eyes are open to how much water we waste for its value has been reset in her world.

The luxury of just turning on a shower to have hot water instantly brings her instant delight that lasts well beyond the one hour it would take to get the water heated enough to just have warmth.

Or how about a COLD drink? You could pay a bit more for a “cool” drink but “cold” was a different story. And ice… well non existent.

It’s one thing to hear about it, it’s another to witness a young woman so incredibly thankful for little things that I rarely give thought to, let alone take time to savor.

Colossians 4:6 reminds us to be “overflowing with thankfulness.” I want to replace the overflow of my water with my thankfulness.
So as I carry my ice bucket back to my hotel room even now, I find myself saying “Thank you Lord, for the luxury of ice. Something so available and free, that some dear folk may never see.”