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Welcome to Stuff I Learned Yesterday. My name is Darrell Darnell, one day I’d like to roast my own coffee beans, and I believe that if you aren’t learning, you aren’t living. In today’s episode of Stuff I Learned Yesterday I share my perspective on food and water.
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What I Learned Yesterday:
I’ve never considered myself rich. I came from a middle class family, and I’m now part of the middle class. The town I live in is considered to be a higher income area, but not all who live here are upper middle class or above. Sure, there are some incredibly large and ornate homes near me, but not all of them are. There are some very small homes and many under privileged homes too.
It’s easy to look around and see all that we don’t have, right? It’s easy to see the big house, fancy car, latest fashion trends, and gadgets in the hands of other people and wish that we were them. Of course, deep down, we all known that more stuff does not mean less problems.
This Thursday, the fourth Thursday in November, is the day Americans set aside to give thanks. I personally find it incredibly sad and discouraging that many people, motivated by greed and materialism, will spend the very next day fighting, cheating, yelling, and even killing just to save a few bucks on stuff they don’t really need.
For most of us, Thursday will include the opportunity to ingest more food and beverages than we could ever possibly eat. We will not want for anything.
Now, please don’t get me wrong. I am not against Thanksgiving in any way. I love the fact that we set aside time to express appreciation for what we have and spend time with those who matter most in our lives. I just wish we had more days like it. I don’t mean that I wish we had more days of delicious gluttony, I mean that I wish we as individuals spent more time reflecting on the things that matter most and being grateful for all that God has given to us.
When we take time to stop and reflect, powerful things happen. We might just realize that we have all that we NEED. We might just remember that there is a difference between a want and a need. We might just have our eyes opened to see the needs of others around us. We might just gain a better perspective and great appreciation for what we already have.
Today I want to tell you about something that is very important to me. I want to tell you about three organizations that I believe in.
I believe very strongly that quality of life begins by being able to simply have clean water and food. Without water, there is no food. Of course we all realize that humans can’t survive long at all without water. In most cases, we will all perish within 3 days without water. Crops can’t grow and livestock and be fed without the presence of water. However, the impact of food and water go much deeper than that.
Did you know that water is directly linked to education? Think about it this way. If a child has to spend their day look for or hiking to and from a water source, they can not spend that time in school.
However, if a clean and abundant water source can be provided to that child’s village, then they can spend time each day in school. With education comes a better chance of helping the next generation of that community to have a better life than the previous one and create a cycle of growth and change.
Food and water are foundational to everything.
The three organizations I want to tell you about today are all organizations that my family and I have personally supported and believe in what they are doing to help make the world a better place.
World Vision is making a wonderful difference in the lives of people all around the globe. Through World Vision you can sponsor a child to help meet their daily needs and provide them with an education. You can also help deliver clean water to remote villages. You can even buy livestock like goats, chicken, sheep and cows. These are animals that will help produce ongoing needs for the villages. You can even buy an ox and plow.
Water is Life is amazing. Water is Life helps provide clean drinking water to people all around the world by distributing filter straws. The straws can be worn around the neck so that it is always handy. Using a series of filters, water is sucked up through the straw as any other straw, but by the time the water enters the mouth, it is safe for human consumption. A donation of only $10 provides safe drinking for one person for an entire year.
Lastly, I want to tell you about The Water Project. The Water Project is also working diligently to bring clean water to all parts of the globe. Instead of me telling you about them, I’d like to let them do it.
Remember back in episode 154 when Mandy played a clip from Louis CK? In that clip Louis reminded his daughter, “the only time you need to worry about what’s in your neighbor’s bowl is if you’re checking to make sure they have enough.”
When we fill our plates and bowls and glasses this week, may we all do so with a sincere heart of appreciation for all that we have. And may we all also be motivated to look to our neighbor to make sure they have enough.
I’m Darrell Darnell and this has been stuff I learned yesterday.
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