Water

May is finally HERE! For some reason…I have been contemplating May becoming my favorite month out of the year. I suppose it has a little to do with the idea of the year inching closer to the half-way mark, the weather being close to perfect, and God’s creation brightening up the landscape all around us. Seeing flowers in bloom has become a reminder to me that renewal is ever-present and if we are conscious enough to take a panoramic view around us, hope abounds. Always.

I started the month off with taking a little trip into the mountains. Initially, the beach was to be our destination, but plans changed (i.e. communication lacked) and we settled on a trip in the opposite direction.

Sometimes I feel as though I take the mountains for granted. You can see them in the distance practically every day, but seldom do I explore them. On this particular day I found myself drawn to the rushing waters of the river and streams. The sound of water flowing and sometimes raging is an exceptionally peaceful sound to me. Strange, when in effect a raging river can be one of life’s greatest dangers. Yet “water” is referenced in the Bible as something entirely opposite…

And so I got to thinking about the story of the Samaritan woman by the well.

Taking a casual, possibly "routine" stroll to the well to gather some water she finds a man awaiting her. The man is looking a little tired, and obviously thirsty, for he asks her for a drink. Confused as to why he would ask such a request of her not to mention speak to her because in that day and age, Jews and Samaritans did not associate with one another.

And then this man...speaks to her about what he calls "living water." Now, if this were me...it would be very likely that I would think of this character as a crazy man and probably turn to walk, maybe even run away. But she stayed.

The whole scenario sounds a little strange. Why would someone ask for water, and then claim that he has the capability to offer what he's calling "living water?" Water that when consumed will quench a thirst for all eternity. She takes the bait, and inquires of him how she can possess what he's offering.

And then...he does what we might in this day and age refer to as "calling someone out." He tells her to go and call her husband. Again...if this were me I might have reached the point of ultimate discomfort, tucked my tail between my legs in shame and turned away. But she stands firm and responds with, "I have no husband." I wonder if she spoke under her breath and said, "I have five and am working on my sixth!"

He continues by explaining the differences in worship between Jews and Samaritans...ministering to her in a way that I'm pretty sure she never had been. Perhaps she was confused as she responded by saying, "I know that the Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us." -John 4:25

Verse 26 goes on to say, Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he." Here would be the moment that I would hope to react the same way in which the Samaritan woman did.

Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, "Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?" vs. 28-29

What an incredible piece of the Bible. It's crazy to sit and ponder what it would have been like to be her. Just an ordinary girl encountering Christ. A gal with a painful past. A sinner. A girl who desires to have a pure heart but not quite sure how she can go about obtaining one, or maybe not quite sure she was ready to step into a life of faith and of trust when the life she was living was the only life she had ever known. She was stuck in a life in which her decisions had become her circumstances. Yet on one ordinary day, something extraordinary happened.

She encountered the One Person who could save her...

Being reminded of this story has made me look at my life and realize...I am her. It's a different time and a different place, but it's the same Jesus.

I think that the greatest part in this whole piece of Scripture was the fact that she forgot her water jar. She was so utterly excited to share her story with others that she forgot the reason she went to the well in the first place. She was so overwhelmed that this Man knew everything about her. Her failings, her shortcomings, her ultimate sins, and yet freely offered salvation to her. And she couldn't wait to share.

This should make each and every one of us have a deep desire to have that kind of encounter with Jesus. Whether we're sitting at His feet in shame, seeking His council, or simply just being in His presence. How amazing would it be to feel so at peace, and maybe even so overwhelmed and awestruck that we forget the reason we actually came.