Cold-Water Sacrifice

By: Adam McClendon

www.newlineministries.com 

Well, it finally happened.  I got called out by Reuben Nessmith on the cold-water challenge.  If you are not familiar with the cold-water challenge, it works like this.  Someone “calls you out” on social media.  They immerse themselves in cold water and then challenge you to do the same within 24 hours and donate $10 to the charity of your choice.  If you don’t do it within 24 hours, you are supposed to donate $100 to the charity of the person who called you out.  Okay, that’s basically it.

Again, I got challenged by this “so-called” friend.  One problem, I’m not on Facebook a lot, so I only have a few hours to do this thing.  This morning, my wife and I got up, got the kids off to school, and I was talking about all the stuff I had to do when I made the mistake of opening Facebook.  There it was: the challenge.

I reluctantly relented and decided that I would alter my plans for the day.  I quickly grabbed my swimming trunks, a change of clothes, my wallet, my phone, and my keys and headed for the church where I work.  My wife came up with a brilliant idea, “Do the cold-water challenge in the baptistry.”

Pulling up into the church parking lot, I realize that in my rush to leave to complete this challenge, I left my bag at home with my laptop and all the stuff I needed to get done today.  Arrrgggh.  Okay, no problem, I’ll figure that out.  Then, after recruiting a video volunteer, I went up to the baptistry and did it!  Yes.  Immediately, I reached for my towel to realize I left that in my office.  I’m soaked right now.  No, I’m like a personalized raincloud.  I didn’t even know clothing could hold that much water.  Again, no problem; although, it’s apparent this deal is going downhill, and it all started with that little challenge.

Problem solved, and I go over to shower and change for the day.  I’m only about 45 minutes behind schedule on an already too-busy day.  We can do this.  Oh no!  Noooo!  No! No!  Panic sets in.  Did I pack…?  Did I?  Oh, no way!  I left out one critical piece of clothing at home (I’ll let you imagine what that might be).  And, now, I’ve officially begun, in my mind, my bad day, and it all began with that cold-water challenge.

Well, obviously, life went on and my day worked out.  As I reflected on these little sequences of events, a thought occurred to me.  A sacrifice should require some sacrifice right?  The point of the cold-water challenge is to do something that is a little inconvenient to highlight charities that fight for people who deal with major inconveniences every day.  Whoopty doo, my day didn’t go according to plan.  I experienced some setbacks, so what.  

This experience revealed some things about me and my world of which I’m not proud.

First, I’m too busy with my plans and see shifts in agenda as interrupts versus God’s divine little opportunities in life.

Second, I’m blessed.  If these events are what constitutes a frustrating day, then I have an incredibly blessed life.

Third, I’m too focused on myself.  It was all about me.  It was all about my day, my schedule, my frustration, etc.  That leads to the third thing.

Fourth, I’m far too easily frustrated.  Get over it man!

Fifth, I’m not compassionate enough.  These charities are a reminder that I’m an over-privileged self-absorbed punk, and that there are people in the world with real needs and hurts that I need to think about, pray for, and give to more often.

Looking back, I don’t think I would want my day to have gone any other way.  Thanks God for the not so subtle reminder of the world in which I live and how far I have to go to understand your purpose for my life.

www.newlineministries.com