If it's yellow, let it mellow.
That was my grandpa's motto when we stayed at his house growing up. I came from my house with a well that never ran dry to a farmhouse that operated on a cistern system. When the gutters didn't collect rain, my grandparents had to pay a water truck to haul water to their house and fill the cistern. So Grandpa was always frugal with water, especially on toilet flushes.
I think about that now as my region of Nicaragua is in a drought. Unfortunately, because of the heat, letting it mellow can become more like letting it ferment. But that's just olfactory stuff. Not only does conserving water cut down on our water bill, but it also gives me a sense of acting in solidarity with those who are suffering because of a lack of water.
Nicaragua's rainy season is supposed to start in May and pour with a vengeance until about this time in July. We've had a few rains, but hardly anything. What should now be a time of harvest continues to be a time of waiting. Farmers didn't plant this past season, and if they did, they didn't get enough food to live off of. There's talk of severe food shortages in Western Nicaragua. Cattle are dying because there's not enough pasture. The dark clouds that roll in only bring winds of dust. People are getting sick or having allergic reactions to all the dirt in the air.
On the other side of the country, I heard tonight, the Atlantic Coast is suffering from too much rain. They are having floods. Farmers are losing their crops because there's too much water. Only God knows what he's doing, the pastor commented to me. It's true.
Please pray for Nicaragua. Ask God to send rain to some parts, and less to others. When you flush your toilets or let the water run while you brush your teeth, thank God for the blessing of water pipes that work and wells that aren't dry. It's not a given at all, this business of having water, no matter where you live.
