Lent

My neighbor posted this challenge on facebook the other day: http://40days.bloodwatermission.com/. Basically, it's this campaign that's going on where you drink only water (except Sunday because it's the day of feasting) and then any money you normally would have spent on another beverage you track and then donate that amount of money to help those who have no water in Africa. Oh GREAT I thought to myself as I sat there internally struggling at the prospect. I'll admit, I'm all about social justice, but like any human being when it means having to give up things that I don't want to, it always takes a wee bit longer to jump in. I LOVE my morning coffee (yes, people who knew me in Seattle know this is a new love in my life), and have recently for some reason obtained an affinity for ginger ale (?)--and I was immediately irritated (albeit not necessarily shocked) by my selfishness in the whole matter. Here I actually have a CHOICE of what beverage I choose to consume--my brothers and sisters in Africa do not share such luxuries. If we all give a little bit of those things we love most (money, power, consumption, coffee), we can make huge changes. It'll be an interesting adventure, as I already had a mild detox caffeine headache today, and I'm really saddened that I'll only be able to have one or two lattes the Sunday I go home over break at my favorite coffee shop, but so be it. PLUS, and this helps the green side of me--I learned that drinking less coffee actually SAVES more water (because of how many gallons of water it takes to produce it). Win-win, and I love that! I say all this not to sound self righteous, but to hopefully inspire you to jump too! So sign up NOW!

"When you know better, you do better." --Maya Angelou