Aboard Artemis II the astronauts took pictures of earth. Around Easter weekend we were able to see what our war ravaged planet looks like: Calm, peaceful and brilliantly blue.

It took my breath away and reminded me of Psalm 19:1-4 (NIV):

“The heavens declare the glory of God;
    the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
    night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words;
    no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
    their words to the ends of the world.”

It also reminded me of what I learned in school about how much of what God gave us stewardship over, is water. I looked it up: 70% of the earth’s surface is the precious commodity we in South Africa are so aware of because of dam levels, droughts and floods. 

In the third place, I was once again struck by how important it is to be precise and use very specific words. From the outside and through the windows of Artemis II, it seems as if we live on a planet that is mostly water, like the “70%” denotes.

But actually we are a gigantic rock (with a lot of metals) spinning around the sun. By mass, all the drops of water on earth combined, make up only 0,023% of the planet. Only the outer, thin layer – the surface – is made up of 70% water.

Do you see how precious and scarce this life-giving resource is? Do you see how much work we have to do in keeping it clean and accessible to all God’s creatures who all depend on it? And do you see why powers of evil can cause unspeakable horrors and devastation by destroying water facilities?

As of 2025, approximately 74% of the world's population (about 6 billion people) have access to “safely managed” drinking water. This means they have it piped in their home or yard, available when needed, and free from contamination. 

It also means approximately (and heartbreakingly) 2.1 billion people still lack safely managed drinking water at home. Roughly 106 million to 159 million people still collect water directly from surface sources such as creeks and rivers, primarily in rural areas.

Sadly, sub-Saharan Africa has the lowest access, with only about 32% of the population having access to safely managed water. If you break the numbers down further, 8 in 10 people in rural areas lack access to basic services.

If you are part of the 97.2% of households in South African urban metros with access to tap water there is indeed reason for gratitude. These numbers should be reflected in the number of thanks we give to God for this blessing we take so much for granted.

You can use these three steps to implement more gratitude practically in your household:

1. Make a list – a real one, written down or typed into a smart phone or laptop. Remind your loved ones about what you put onto the list and have happy and appreciative discussions with them about these blessings.

Pray together to express your thankfulness to God. Also ask for His guidance in how to be good stewards of each gift out of His hands, and how to share these gifts with those who are less fortunate.

1. Put up visual reminders – like the stone Jacob placed on the spot where he had his heavenly dream. As humans we need physical stuff we can experience through our senses to remember that we are truly blessed and have much reason to be thankful.

Use what you like and is familiar to your family, such as fridge magnets of places you visited; dried grasses, stones or shells from where you went camping or hiking; framed photographs of loved ones and celebrations; soap, hand lotion, perfume and spices linked to feasts or destinations; art with symbolic meaning such as crosses or angels; candles that are lighted on special occasions; t-shirts with positive slogans; etc. 

1. Sing to the Lord – as so many verses in the Bible remind us. 1 Chronicles 16:23-24 (NIV) has a clear command: “Sing to the Lord, all the earth; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvellous deeds among all peoples”.

If you really, really dislike singing, then talk or at the very least, write or text about all the great things He has done for you. Or you could hum along to worship music that you play in the car or house.

Like tiny drops forming an ocean, daily counting of small blessings creates a life of profound gratitude.