Thirst Responders

A waitress at a restaurant had a shirt that said, “Thirst Responders”. In my affinity for puns, I noted that was a great idea. What I was not expecting was her expression and how she spoke from the heart about being considered “non-essential” while the world muddled around trying to figure out how to handle Covid. I worked for a defense contractor when Covid hit and did not break stride in any routine whatsoever, knowing the concept of “essential workers” did not appear to have been thought through completely on the governing level, but I had enough on my plate. I had also emailed the CDC offering assistance, as their public block diagram for Covid mitigation was missing the people issues such as mental health, consumer long-term sustainment, and concepts like the toilet paper people who nearly wiped out the supply. They only appeared to focus on one piece of the big picture. I never received a response from the CDC but I am sure they were up to their masks trying to figure it out. Regardless, I never really took the time to think deeply about the heart of the people being called non-essential, my apologies!

In my book, there are no non-essential personnel. The reason any nation exists is people. Obviously, some jobs are higher risk than others, but it is all part of an integrated system. If we stop a food manufacturer you break the chain. If we stop the plastic manufacturer, we stop packaging the food. If we stop the distributors, then the chain is once again broken. If we stop waste disposal, we create even more chances for disease. A doctor cannot put off surgery for a few minutes to empty the trash or leave to water the garden so they can eat later. It takes a nation working together to be great. Everyone has a purpose and is essential, otherwise, the political voting process encouraging everyone to vote, since it matters, would be a lie. It is not about what the world says you are, but who you are created to be and who created you!

We are created to be one body in Christ, each with a purpose, no matter where we are in life. In Christ, we are a nation with a kingdom not of this world. In 1 Corinthians 12 of the Bible, it talks about the body having many parts. Just because a foot may say “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body” does not stop the foot from being a part of the body. It goes on to say, “…there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.” Notice it says equal “concern” not equal “pay” – another topic for later. God also says He shows no arbitrary favoritism of persons. That is, we all fall short, but He created us equal in value to Him, giving us Jesus that ALL might be saved through Him. Jesus gave His life for each of us, becoming what we could not do on our own. He came to set each of us free from the bondage of our failures, making us right with God, free from condemnation. In Christ we are called His brother, sister, co-heir with Christ, ambassadors to the kingdom of heaven, partakers of His divine nature, created in the image of God just a little lower than the angels, and given the Spirit of Jesus to be His hands and feet on earth. God has called each of us to be a part of His body working together with a spirit of power, love, and sound mind in the Holy Spirit, doing what Jesus did and even greater things. These words are all God’s living Word given to us to give hope to everyone for God’s glory. There is not one who is non-essential!

Let me leave you with the following thoughts from the Bible: You have been made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, made dead to sin but alive to God, made as Jesus is on this earth, perfect in Spirit, called and equipped by God to do His good work, given the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead, given a counselor/guide/helper in the Holy Spirit for daily living, given everything necessary for life and godliness, called sons of God, given the living word of God to speak into all situations, redeemed from the curse of the law, given the power of life and death in your tongue, wonderfully and beautifully made as His masterpiece. You are loved beyond comprehension no matter what your background. God has great plans for you. He wants you to reign in life! There are more than 300 verses from the Bible that declare every good thing already in us in Christ Jesus. Make Jesus your Lord and Savior. Make the Holy Spirit your best friend and ask Him, “what do we get to do today?”. Let God be your true Father who loves you beyond what you can imagine. Was the life Jesus gave for us on the cross not good enough? I was vaccinated by Jesus when I received Him as my Savior and Lord over my life, for “as Jesus is on this earth so are we.” You are needed! You are blessed! You are loved! You are called! You have a purpose! You, are essential!