Mexico (MNN) — We've all had "oops" moments, and some are bigger than others.
Katie Moore with New Tribes Mission in rural Mexico had hers recently, but she learned a deeper truth from it.
Now that the rainy season in Nahuatl is over, water is a precious commodity. Over Katie's house sits a holding tank, which catches rainwater from her roof.
One day, while waiting for a bucket to fill, a language helper came to study. As they waited for the container to fill the two visited with each other. After a while, they decided to go into the house and make some recordings.
After their session, Katie went on with her day, working out and showering. She then rushed off to her co-worker's home where she had dinner with them. They also had prayer together.
Then came the sickening feeling–after a full day's activity. Katie abruptly remembered she left the hose running from that morning. A quick investigation in the dark confirmed it: the holding tank was empty. "I had spilled 300 gallons of precious rainwater all over the dry ground," said Moore. "Although my team members were very gracious about it and offered to help me to fill my tank, I was angry," she shares.
She stood in the dark next to the tank…and wept. She prayed, "This is how I feel, Lord: empty."
That night as she was lying on her cot, she remembered a similar experience from her childhood. As a child, she had put a hose in a washing machine to help it fill more quickly. Her friend came over, and they got distracted and ran to play. When she returned, a river of water was flowing down the hill by their home.
She reacted differently then. "I was just thankful that the water ran out the door instead of flooding the house."
Katie thought about both situations and her reactions. She realized that the difference was all about the source of water. The hose in her childhood hooked up to a river, where the source was unlimited. The hose from her roof was hooked up to a water supply that was dwindling. From this situation she saw that her attitude toward the water supply was an illustration some of her attitudes toward the village people she ministered to.
Thinking more on this situation, she thought of God's unlimited patience and generosity. God's spirit spoke to her heart: "You have a limited supply whenever the strength is coming from yourself."
It took Katie accidentally draining her water tank to remember that she is connected to God, that she can draw on His limitless resources. Next time you are short on patience, remember Katie's story and draw on God's limitless resources.
Since the spill, it has rained. The holding tank on the roof is now full. So…what fills your tank?
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