Thirst

Today officially begins Lent. I have to confess that usually I don't give anything up for Lent because in the past it became this thing that I would give something up but then not do anything with that time, money, focus, etc... Instead of spending the time that I usually spent watching TV I would kill that time some other way and so this idea of drawing closer to God never materialized and it became just an event in my life. This year because of my desire to tell a better story, thanks Donald Miller, I stopped spending money on soda, coffee, tea, etc... and I began to just drink water when I went out. What I discovered is that I spend a ton of money on those kinds of drinks. Since January 1 I have saved somewhere in the neighborhood of $75 to $100. Now on to what is happening right now. Starting today I am drinking nothing but water until Easter. I am not drinking milk, juice, coffee at home. Nope nothing but water for the next 47 days. I write this not to draw attention to me but to say I have challenged my youth group to the same thing and for them to collect all their loose change until Easter to give to a mission project of building a well. So welcome to the 40 Day Water Only Challenge. So far I have had 15 of my teens, of my adult staff, and the entire senior pastor's family sign up. That is the coolest thing ever. If each person fills one water bottle with loose change then we have the potential of collect several hundreds of dollars. Typically this is just a check that I cut out of my budget and give to the district but this year its different. This year we change the world and we quench two kinds of thirsts. The first is the literal thirst that people feel without water. The second thirst is deeper. This thirst is in the one who has no water and the one who does. This a thirst to truly connect with God in a life changing way. This thirst can not be quenched by drinking only water. It can only be quenched when we stop and allow God to fill us. To stop being so busy that we miss the smallest thing and we take for granted even the smallest and simplest things in our lives.

God has called us to a higher standard for our lives and as we begin to truly understand this I believe that it will change who we are and push us past the point of just existing. We wont be able to just settle any more because we have seen the fullness of God and nothing else will ever be able to satisfy.

Until the water and the Blood both run freely in all...

I am outie 5000,

Robb