This Saturday I will WALK…because I can…and for water.
Many of you know my story. In August 2001 at the age of forty I was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer. Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Fifteen years later, I beat the odds.
Emergency surgery removed a tumor and a portion of my colon. MD Anderson concocted some wicked chemotherapy that proved life saving. But not without a cost.
Chemotherapy has many side effects. For me it was the loss of feeling in my feet (chemotherapy neuropathy) and all the associated bone structural and risk of infection issues. Life (which I am grateful for) changed for me. My marathoning days came to an end, replaced by numerous surgeries, bone infections, expensive meds, physical therapy, and learning to live with chronic pain.
And through it all I feel extremely thankful and grateful!
Today I continue to live and walk, which oftentimes can be taken for granted. Another such luxury in our Western world is turning on the faucet and drawing a cool and clean glass of drinking water, something not available to some 783 million of our global brothers and sisters.
This Saturday I will join with my friends from Vista Ridge United Methodist Church http://vrumc.org on a Walk for Water. This is a symbolic walk to raise awareness and money for the plight of many in our world who do not have access to clean drinking water. 4,500 kids will die TODAY from water related diseases. One child every 20 seconds.
Together we can make a difference. Living Water International https://water.cc is a faith-
based non-profit organization that helps communities in developing countries create sustainable water, sanitation and hygiene programs in response to the global water crisis. In short they drill water well and $5,500 brings a well, clean and life giving water to a community.
I’m WALKING (thanks be to God) this Saturday at 9 am at the Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area (LLEA) http://llela.unt.edu (201 E. Jones St., Lewisville) and here are two ways you too can help.
First, come join me! All you need to do is show up and walk as much or as little as you want in this beautiful nature preserve. We will walk to a water source and then carry some water buckets back empathizing in a small part with those who by necessity do this on a daily basis.
Second, give some money for the cause! Five dollars, fifty dollars, five hundred dollars. It ALL goes to the goal of $5,500 to drill a water well. You can easily donate (credit card, debit card, ACH banking withdraw) at the Loving Community donation link: https://loving-community.net/donation/ All gifts are tax deductible.
Grateful for life. Grateful for walking. Grateful for water. Grateful for you!
Loving Community,
Jim
