Frequency

Have you ever noticed how once something catches your attention, it turns up everywhere you look? That's the way it has been for me lately with clean water.

Last week in church, Paul Flickinger, Executive Director of Clean Water for the World (an organization based in Kalamazoo near my home) spoke to us. I know I have heard before how important and scarce clean water is, but this time, it was like hearing it for the first time. As he told us about a child dying every 15 seconds from water-born illness (which, ironically, the cure for is often clean water) and the fact that 1.1 billion people lack access to clean water, a little voice inside of me called me to action.

Since that talk less than a week ago, I have heard about clean water 3 or 4 times, on NPR or through emails from water.org or 350.org. I see these as God's whispers urging on that little voice inside of me. I am listening to the voice and the whispers.

A group of friends has agreed to work with me to raise money for a water purification system (made right here in Michigan). We are a group of mothers who want to help other mothers not lose their children to preventable illness. We are people who have much (in that we have clean water at all) and want to give back.

I don't know if that little voice inside of you stirs at all when you read this. But if it does, please think about doing something. There is so much that can be done-from raising money for a purification system (our group is doing garage sales, lemonade stands, and coin collection at playdates to get our kids involved), to volunteering with an organization in your area, to looking at your own water consumption and finding ways to reduce and reuse.

I know there are so many issues that feel so huge. I know that 1.1 billion sounds like an overwhelming number. But I also know that doing my part to help hundreds feels really great. I hope you are finding that same feeling by helping others and I would love to hear how.