Monday, March 8, 2010

Confession Time

I like Coca-Cola. I always have. I was raised on Coke. Pretty much every time we sat down to eat "supper" as a family the beverage served was Coke on ice. That's not to say I didn't enjoy a good sweet tea at the church pot luck or a nice pink lemonade on a hot summer's day, I just preferred Coke.Up until the time I married and moved, there was a coke machine in the gym at my home church that still sold 6.5 oz. bottles for a dime. I used to have chugging contest with my buddies after youth chour practice on Sunday evenings.

Later in life I did branch out. I enjoyed the occaisional Dr. Pepper or Root Beer (IBC in a cold bottle). I grew to appreciate Creme Soda and Mountain Dew but there's is still nothing quite like an ice cold coke in that 6.5 oz glass bottle.

So why am I waxing eloquent on my fondness for this caramel colored carbonated thirst quencher?

Because I can't have one and I want it.

"Ah", you're saying to yourself, "he's given up soft drinks for lent."

Not exactly.

Growing up Southern Baptist, we never observed Lent and I still don't, technically.

What I have done is take the 40 Day Water Challenge from Blood:Water Mission. The challenge does fall within the season of lent, which I suppose is convenient for those who do observe it, but for me that's just coincedence.

What is the challenge? Simple. For 40 days my only beverage is water. No coffee (that hurts in the mornings and sometimes on these chilly winter evenings), no tea, lemonade, root beer, Dr. Pepper, creme soda or the real thing ... Coca-Cola. Then at the end of the 40 days the money I would have spent on beverages is donated to Blood:Water Mission's efforts to provide clean water projects for villages in Uganda.

So why take the challenge?

Two reasons.

Obviously one is to raise a few dollars for Blood:Water Mission.

The other, which to me is the more important, is to enter in some small way into the sufferings of others.

You see the reason I like Coke, or for that matter coffee, is the taste. This 40 day challenge is a reminder to me that I have it easy. I can have a tasty carbonated beverage any time I want it with a simle drive to the nearest retailer or a quick stroll to the vending machine. But what if I lived where there were no tasty beverages? What if water was all I had and getting that might mean a long daily walk to a community well?

So since Feb 17th water has been my only beverage. I could fudge a bit, drink warm water with lemon or have a sparkling water to soothe that carbonation crave ... but I won't. Until April 3rd it's water.

Just water.

http://www.bloodwatermission.com/fortydays.php

3 comments:

Nancy Sarson said...

Dave
I don't work the computere well and don't know if you had received the comment I just typed. I typed it and then opened a google account so it may have erased. I love Cok too! I am having a hard time getting off of it. It is horrible for you. I rationalize and say I don't smoke or drink so I drink Coke. There is something about Coke. Thinks don't go better with Coke they go better with God. I am pround of you doing this for a month. Seem like 30 Days of Purpose to me. I am going to try very hard to do the same. I have found that when I drink water in my big Tervis Tumbler with lost and lots of ice I actually love water. I have never been a water fan. But there is something magical about the Tervis Tumbler. It is mystical. If you have a Tervis Tumbler you should try it. I don't miss the Coke so much with my new Tervis Tumbler. No I do not work for Tervis Tumbler. It is something I find that helps me. Things don't really go better with Coke....they go better with God. I know God made the Tervis Tumbler. He is in the living water business. Water does prolong life and Coke does destroy it. I have to go now and get my Tervis Tumbler and fill it with living water. God Bless Your friend and sister in Christ from SBC Nancy Sarson

P.S. By the way I would love to help a few hours on April 7th. Let me know what I can do. You know me and you know where I would fit best. Love ya and thanks for being a wonderful brother in Christ.

Mary Carroll said...

Dave if it makes you feel any better at all I am slowly sipping a hot cup of Starbucks coffee and it is AWESOME. But in Honor of you I will endulge in two cups. Keep up the good work, it is for a great cause. I am feeling your pain.

Unknown said...

I recently found The Joy Fm radio station while searching some radio stations on my phone. I live on the beautiful island of Tobago of the country of Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean. I am enjoying the music and especially enjoying the Morning Cruise. Keep up the good work. Say hi some times. My name is Preston Henry, 37 yrs old.