Pause for Thought - Refreshing Your Thirsty Soul in Jesus Christ

Uganda August 2012

Thursday 27th September 2012

Everyone remembers the downpours of the Diamond Jubilee weekend. Our hearts went out to Her Majesty the Queen and the people sailing and watching the Royal Pageant – not to mention that valiant choir with their music scores turned to pulp - still singing marvellously to the end. 

That first weekend of June set the pattern for the wettest June on record, followed by the second wettest July ever. Floods and storms across the country made us miserable. The Great Yorkshire Show was cancelled! Disaster! During the Olympics London managed to stay mainly dry – with only a couple of events where competitors and crowds were drenched.  But other parts of the country were still pretty soggy during August.

For me, August was a little different. I was in Western Uganda for an official visit, to celebrate the Centenary of the Diocese of Muhabura.  A time of great rejoicing, prayer, singing and dancing.  There was no rain at all! It was hot and dry. ‘Lucky you!’ you might say – ‘We could have done with some of that!’

But when I visited a community just north of Kampala I saw the suffering caused by lack of water. The people were using unclean water, collected in jerry cans. When the rains don’t come, that community runs out of clean drinking water. 

A community of 350 people using just 4 latrines.  This is too difficult to imagine for most of us. But Charities are working with them to help - along with the African Evangelistic Enterprise – showing that the love of God has a practical implication.

When Jesus met a woman drawing water from a well, he spoke to her not only about the practical need for water, but of the spiritual need for refreshment of her life through his love.

This Harvest time, why not do something to help people without water  – but also think about refreshing your thirsty soul in Jesus Christ.

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