Imagine with me you’re at home. You’re going through your day and nothing eventful has happened thus far. You are relaxing reading a book or an article online when all of a sudden, someone runs in and tells you that your best friend was just in a car accident. They explain that your friend is in critical condition and will die if they don’t get a kidney transplant right away. They ask if you want to see if your kidney was an option. You agree right away and run out the door to go see if it will work. It’s a perfect match.

The doctors ask if you want to donate and start explaining things that may go wrong. Before the doctor can even finish their sentence, you urge them to start the procedure. They try telling you some possible complications but you just insist that they do it now. So they do. Your best friend makes it and after a long time of recovery, heal completely.

I can relate to doing whatever it takes to see your friend safe and okay. In emergencies like this or even things WAY smaller, we’ll do whatever it takes to help those we love. We don’t thoughtfully think through pros and cons, if the doctors are the most qualified, or if you have the time to fit it into your schedule. No. That’s ridiculous. You just respond and are willing to do whatever it takes to help your friend.

In March this year, GFA’s ministry focus was clean water. There’s a big need for clean water, right? We all know there is. This month I am understanding more and more how much of a need there is, though. Look at these statistics with me:

• 844 million people lack basic drinking water.
• Every year, 361,000 more children could see their fifth birthday if they had safe water and good sanitation habits.

Those are big numbers. I have known there was a big need for a long time, but it rarely impacted me. This month has been different, though. I have been admitting to the Lord I didn’t have a heart to see all those people helped. I was sad for them and prayed in prayer meetings, but the “sadness” didn’t stay with me as I left. I started praying and asking the Lord to break my heart for what breaks his. I wanted to have compassion for the millions of people that are suffering in extreme poverty, but I just didn’t have it.

Think of the story I started with. When someone we know and love is in even small need, we want to help and will do whatever it takes to do so. I’ve been pondering in my own heart lately why it’s so different with people I don’t know. I see and speak of these needs, but it’s just numbers to me. It doesn’t impact me in a way that I’m really concerned or do something about it. It’s just a fact of life that there are millions of people without clean water. There will always be people who are in need. Why even bother at all?

Maybe you can relate. When I see big numbers I can’t really process and understand them. I have a disconnect from the heart and humanity of each individual. We as a class recently were challenged to remember the story of one. Meaning, if we can focus on the effect a Jesus Well had on one person and how it completely changed their life, then we can keep from discouragement and keep having a heart for the masses who still need help.

“Remember the story of one.”

It’s estimated that every 90 seconds a child dies from not having clean water. I have a lot of friends that I love so dearly that are under the age of 5. What if every minute and a half one of them died? I don’t think I could handle that anguish. The Lord has put it on my heart to think of all these kids that are dying as if they were my greatest friends. That changed things for me. My heart really did break when I thought that way. Even that is just a glimpse of how the Lord looks at them with love and compassion.

I have been challenged to pray all the more fervently and work in the office all the more diligently knowing that I am a part of so many people being helped. If you can relate with what I’m learning, please pray with me and consider looking at GFA.org to learn more and see how you can help by donating towards a Jesus Well or a BioSand Water Filter.

In a moment of feeling very spiritual, I asked [God] to give me humility. Then I realized what I had done and said, “Never mind–I take it back!” –Read another post by a GFA School of Discipleship student