It started at 6:00 in the morning. I was in pain that radiated from my lower back to the front of my abdomen. Initially, it wasn’t that bothersome, but it was enough to make me think, “That is new,” but I ignored it. I was busy getting ready for the day. By 7:30 am, I had to be in the classroom teaching the course “Technology and Accounting” at the university. There was a group of ready-to-graduate accountant students waiting for me.
When I arrived at my classroom, the pain was very uncomfortable, but I kept ignoring it. By 8:15 am, the pain was becoming more intense, so I decided that after finishing the class, by 9:30 am, I would go to the university medical center, which was near my classroom, just for a check-up.
By 8:30 am, the pain was so intense that walking was becoming difficult. One of the girls in the group noticed something different and asked, “Are you OK?” and the answer was, “No at all”. I quickly began a group activity, and I told my students to work on it while I was visiting the medical center. I also mentioned that they could leave if I were not back in 20 minutes.
I was having such a hard time walking the short distance, as soon as the nurse checked my condition she called the ambulance to bring me to the hospital because I was in a serious situation; I could have a kidney stone. The trip to the hospital was the longest 45 minutes of my life. The painkiller they injected me with did not work as expected.
The ER team was waiting for me with a wheelchair, and it was good because I couldn’t walk anymore. Very soon, I was in a room with an IV in my arm and monitoring equipment. The doctor came to ask and check everything, and said: “We don’t know what it is yet, but it seems like a possible kidney stone. We will give you medicine to relax your organs and internal muscles, hoping the stone can pass through. Otherwise, we may need to have surgery.” Then he proceeded to explain, in a very descriptive way, what they were going to do to reach that annoying stone. And it didn’t look like a joyful experience to me, but I agree because of all the pain.
The nurse came and administered the medication and a painkiller, and then I waited and waited, and I waited more, hoping for the stone to pass through so surgery would not become necessary. And thank God surgery was not required.
After that painful event, I followed up with my doctor, who already knew about my adventure; he looked at me and said: “You have to drink more water, my friend or this could happen again.” And he was right; I was not drinking enough water during the day. But I had my perfect excuse: I was too busy!
Since that incident, I have become more conscious about drinking more water. Drinking water is essential, don’t you agree? Surely, some of you are interested in finding ways to improve it. To make it more “automatized,” right? How can technology help us with such an important task?
Well, there is a way! Welcome to HidrateSpark.
What is it? According to their website, HidrateSpark is “the world’s most advanced hydration ecosystem.” They claim that “3 out of 4 Americans are chronically dehydrated,” and they have found how to solve it with technology.
“The HidrateSpark ecosystem makes it easy to track your liquid intake and accurately determine your hydration goal for the day. All you need to do is drink when you see the glow or app notification and we’ll do the rest.”
It is well-known and studied that hydration is critical for your health and directly impacts:
- Energy levels
- Headaches, migraines
- Physical performance
- Cognition & mood
- Skin complexion
- Weight management
- Work productivity
Because hydration is essential, HidrateSpark comes to the rescue: “We couldn’t find a bottle that prevented dehydration, so we created one.”
And how do they help you? “Behavior change psychology: HidrateSpark’s gamification and challenge feature uses proven behavioral science to help you drink more water.” It connects to your mobile device and your smartphone.
The game is straightforward:
- Glow or mobile notification
- Drink
- Track
- Repeat
Isn’t that fantastic? Are you ready to order one HidrateSpark and enhance your hydration performance? Isn’t technology so amazing?
But wait. Don’t order your HidrateSpark yet! I need to tell you about another product so you can make the right decision. This one has more advanced features:
- Provides notifications
- It has sensors that analyze cellular internal and external hydration levels
- It has sensors that analyze water for salt or sugar levels to identify its hydration potential
- It is a wearable
- It is concealed
- Consumes very little energy
- There is no need for a battery because it uses the body to power itself
This very specialized product is called the “hypothalamus.”
Its notification mechanism is called “thirst”. It comes pre-installed in every human and is wired to track the cells, organs, and blood’s water needs. It is connected to our gut to analyze the hydration value of the liquids we drink. It is located in a very protected area of the brain.
Every human has a hypothalamus screaming at us when we need water. However, HidrateSpark has become a multi-million dollar company. The Smart Water Bottle Market is expected to grow to USD 97.7 billion by 2034. They are banking on the fact that we ignore our built-in hydration system!
How did we become dependent on external technology even though we have our built-in hydration mechanism? Distraction. There are two layers of distraction we could fall victim to:
- The first layer is the busy and stressful life we have to deal with. We are so busy that we ignore our built-in alarms.
- The second layer comprises attractive gadgets, tools, social programs, or activities that seem to be the solution to address our problem. And we keep jumping to the new one as soon as it appears.
We get trapped in this cycle when the solution is as simple as: Listen to your thirst.
However, in the same way, this problem also happens in our spiritual lives.
How often do we get busy with layers of religious activities, spiritual gadgets, spiritual responsibilities, faithfully attending church, having church roles, listening to sermons from our favorite preachers, listening to religious music, reading religious books from renowned authors, and still feeling spiritually empty like something is missing?
Then, we search for new products on the shelves to enhance our spiritual lives. There may be a better podcast we have not heard yet or a book we have not read, but we still feel empty because we get distracted and distracted enough not to listen to somebody knocking at the door.
“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in. I will eat with that person, and they will eat with me.” (Revelation 3:20 NIrV)
Isn’t it what we are missing, talking to God? We must remove what keeps us busy and return to the simple way of talking to God. Just read the Bible without intermediaries—just you and God.
We have been provided with what is needed for our relationship with God; it is built-in: “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:26 NIV)
Don’t let the tools and devices stand between you and God. Just listen to your heart, which is searching for God.
“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God.” (Psalms 42:1 NIV)
Copyright – Italo Osorio 2025
Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash
