Years ago, I read in Readers’ Digest an account from a subscriber about her attempt to perform a good deed. During a particular hot summer in Chicago, news sources put out the word to be aware of the potential dehydration of all of the outside workers. Hence, people were encouraged to, when possible, offer these workers water.
One lady took this admonition to heart. She filled her plastic pitcher with ice water. She grabbed a tray and placed the pitcher, as well as, plastic cups upon it.
Soon, she heard the inevitable sound of the city garbage truck coming down her street. She hurried outside with her tray, and, over the noise of the garbage truck, she shouted to a worker, "Here. This for you!"
The man was genuinely surprised. So she repeated her words, "This for you."
Shrugging his shoulders, he took the tray, along with the pitcher and cups and tossed them all into the back of the truck.
Bear in mind, when we follow Jesus’ teachings to offer the thirsty “a cup of cold water,” they may not always receive it in the way we would hope. This could be for a variety of reasons: uncertainty, previous abuse, disillusionment, distrust, lives numbed to life. However, our mission is not to control results, our mission is to initiate action.
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