Water

The woman walked up the path to the well again. Most times, she went in the middle of the day so that she could avoid most of the other people in the town who went to draw water in the mornings and evenings when it was cooler. As she walked the dusty road, it reminded her of how she felt at that exact moment, in fact it was the way she had felt most of her life. Relief for her situation was hopeless and she would most likely live out the rest of her days in shame because of the bad decisions she had made. Just as she turned the corner, hoping no one would be at the well, she hesitated because there on the edge of the well sat a man. She did not recognize him, so possibly she could draw her water and not have to feel the arrows of accusation from her past failures in order to get another day's pitcher of water.

Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, "Please give me a drink." The woman answered "You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman; why are you asking me for a drink?" Jesus replied, "If you only knew the gift God has for you and who I am, you would ask me, and I would give you living water."

"Please give me a drink," said the man; words that would change our lives forever. I often forget that it is not what others say or think of me, but instead what Jesus has forgotten that makes me who I am. When Jesus asked a woman at the well for a drink of water, He was simply saying that no matter what you have done or how much you have messed up, He had everything she needed to give her relief from a lifetime of "dusty roads."

No matter how perfectly or recklessly each of us has tried to live, at some point all our paths cross Jesus'. It is only then that we realize each of our lives has fallen extremely short and that we are all incredibly thirsty for relief and grace. It is at that moment that Jesus lets down a long rope, draws water from His well, and fills our dry and dusty lives with water that quenches every longing for wholeness that we have.

The Samaritan woman who met Jesus at the well that day had a terrible past and a very rough life up until that point. She had been married five times and was currently living with a man to whom she was not married. She was ashamed of her life and it was probably everything she could do to drag herself out to the well that day. Jesus made an appointment with the woman that day and beckoned her to come to draw water so that He could quench her thirst with Himself.

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Submitted by Scott Michael Ringo. You may email Scott at this address: scott.ringo@attglobal.net or visit his Web site at: www.scottringo.com