DRINKING FROM THE WELL TODAY

Where did Jesus find you last?  He found me yesterday as I listened to the story about the Prodigal, or as Jesus introduced it, “a certain man had two sons”.  In the conclusion, the man rejoiced in the return of his Prodigal by saying, “this my son was dead and is alive again, he was lost and is found.”  




The point that was brought out in this sermon was the word translated as “lost” was really the word “missing”. Luke 15:11-24.  Interesting, huh?

How do you relate to this story?  Do you feel dead or alive?  lost or found? Jesus is hanging around wells every day waiting for a “missing” person to come by He can invite back home.  I love this idea that with God, there are no “lost” persons, but only persons “missing” from the place of God’s original intention for them.  Psalm 139 reveals His original intention for each of us.  

Where are you today?  Do you feel as though you are right where you were always intended to be by God?  Or do you somehow feel a little out of place, not quite comfortable in your own world?  There is a state I call a “sense of well being” for which all of us have a very deep sense of longing, and unfortunately, is found by too few. 

Do you know what I mean by a sense of well being?  It is that good feeling you have when everything is going your way; you got your need met in exactly the right way at the right time.  It is believed that is how babies learn to trust and they bond with the one who meets those needs in that way or they develop a sense of mistrust for their world.  This does not happen for all of us.  Sad!

What gives you that feeling?  For me, I equate it with the feeling I get when I am lying on the sofa in my scruffys (my word for jameys), looking out the atrium door at a gentle snow falling on the trees behind my house with the delicious odor of something wonderful in the crockpot and I know that none of my loved ones are in the way of harm.  Perfect peace!

Isaiah 26.3 tells us that God “will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are stayed on Him, because they trust in Him.”  This was one of the first scripture verses to minister deeply to me.  I needed such peace desperately!   I believe we were created for that feeling of well being when we experience those moments of meeting with Jesus and begin trusting Him to meet our real needs in the right way.
Photography by my daughter Kim.  Thanks!

How long has it been since you felt something akin to “perfect peace”?  Before being “found” by Jesus like the woman at the well of John 4, I sometimes found that peace in places that were disappointing.  Oh, not initially!  At first, the good feelings would come, but they would not last.  When they faded, it seemed as though my bucket was emptier than before.  Then I would have to try and fill it again.

Do you know what I mean?  Of course you do!  It is the human condition whenever we are without God.  Even those of us who get “found” still have experiences of feeling “lost”.  Like babies, we need repeated times of being held, fed, patted, sang to and rocked before we can believe that it will happen over and over again until it is a state of being – one of well being.  No matter how long it takes for us to find our way back, but He is always waiting when we get there.  Have you ever had that experience  before?

Would you like to experience that state of well being right now?  Ok, close your eyes and start walking toward Jesus.  He is right there somewhere close to you, because He is always there waiting.  Go ahead, walk right up to Him and look into His eyes.  See the joy that He feels to see you today!  Sit down with Him; sit down close and just look up into His eyes and let Him meet your real needs in the right way.  It will come – Perfect peace – that sense of well being.  Now, enjoy as long as you possibly can.  Allow the experience to bless you deeply until it becomes a state to which you can return at any time because it is a condition for which you were created!

I pray the SON is shining on your mountain or in your valley!  Please write a comment and tell me about your meeting with Him today.  I will look forward to hearing from you.  Blessings be unto you this day!  

JESUS IS WAITING FOR YOU

Have you ever thought about Jesus waiting for you somewhere?  We think in terms of us waiting for or upon God, but Isaiah 30:18 says He is waiting for us! “Therefore, the Lord will wait that He may be gracious unto you..”  He is waiting to extend some grace to you. He knows what you need today!  But you must come to Him receive it!

Imagine with me the woman at the well in John 4 that we talked about earlier.  She was on her way to the town well to get a bucket of water to get her through the day.  Little did she know that the Messiah was waiting there for her; yes, for her alone.  He made it clear that He needed to go by that well that day and it was because He knew that this lady really needed living water that only He could give.  Here is a visual for you.

 He is not waiting to confront you with your problems or your issues.  He is waiting to “be gracious”.   He is waiting to extend grace to you.  Grace has been defined in many ways, but my favorite is when we receive something we do not deserve.  Mercy is when you do not get what you do deserve, but grace is when God pours out on us something for which we would not even dare to ask.  But we must come!

Jesus wanted a personal relationship with that first woman.  He wants the same with every one of us.  He wants a very intimate and personal connection with you today, one that will meet the needs we try to get met in every other relationship we develop outside of that one with Him!  He wants us to seek Him first and then all the other things we need will be added unto us!  Matthew 6:33

So, close your eyes and imagine yourself trudging toward the town well for your daily supply of water.  Suddenly it occurs to you that the God of the whole universe wants to meet with you there.  It is as though the "Son" comes out from behind a cloud and the path lights up with a new excitement for you!  Your step quickens and your heart begins to feel anticipation of the encounter.  Your eyes begin to search diligently down the road, ready for the first glimpse of Him.  Ah, yes, there He is, waiting and watching for you.  He begins to smile and takes a step toward you.  You take it from here….What happens next?   This is your story...

It really is OK to fantasize about a meeting with Jesus.  I think that is why we have imaginations, although most of us either have never developed them or they have been used in inappropriate ways.  So whisper a little prayer and ask the Holy Spirit to assist you in this time with Jesus.  Write down what you say and what He says.  Ask Him a question?  He wants to tell you things that no one else knows but Him.  Ask Him how He feels about you?  Ask Him what He would like you to do today?  Tell Him how much you love and appreciate Him!  He is waiting!  For You!

Send me a comment about your encounter.  I would love to hear about it!  Even now, I am praying for you, the woman who is reading this today.  I am asking Jesus to reveal Himself to you in some new way that will change your entire picture of Him.  I know He can and will do this, for I am one of those women for whom He has done that very thing!   My life changed that day.  Ok, close your eyes now..

Good Morning, Blogger Friends:

April 25th, 2012  Here we are still in the mountains!  The last couple of days we have been having "dogwood winter".  Brrr!  Windy, rainy, yes, and even snow flurries!  Miserable to say the least!  There were a few bright spots when the sun would come peeping out for a few minutes.  When it did, it changed the whole picture!  My husband had been working outside and had come in because the weather had turned nasty once again!  As soon as he got in and got settled in his chair, the sun came back out!

 I was reminded of how it is in our lives sometimes.  We just can't figure it out.  Things are happening that seem out of order.  This shouldn't be happening today, we think.  It is hard to understand!  It's raining, snowing, blowing cold when we were hoping for sunshine, warmth and comfort!  Then without knowing why or how, it changes back again!  In times like these for me, the SON is what makes the difference!  I like that little song.. "I have a light, and it always shines..it shines in the day and it shines in the night.. and when the dark days come,  I will be shining for I have a light!  That Light is Jesus and He lights up all of my dark days!

My prayer today is for those of  you out there who may be experiencing an uncomfortable day.  I pray that you will be able to access the Sonlight of Jesus to bring warmth and comfort to your day.  I pray that you will know that that this too shall pass and that the Son is not gone, but only behind a cloud for now and hidden from your view.  Isaiah 60:1-3 says "Arise, shine; for your Light has come!  And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.  For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people;  But the Lord will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you.  Others will be able to come to your light and even king's to the brightness of your rising!"  Even a little light will overcome a great deal of darkness; but darkness cannot overcome even a little light!

May the Son be shining into your world today to change the whole picture for you and perhaps even encourage someone else around you!

Blessings,

Sonshine in the Mountains.

Well, hello again!  It has been several days since this blogging process began.  That is because I was unable to navigate the cyberworld of blogging unaided and I was totally out of touch with my assistant who is patiently attempting to guide me in this adventure.  Today she got me back on the right track and I think I am on my way.  I saw that 23 people had viewed the profile that I set up and I was amazed.  I would be very interested to know what drew you to it and did you find what you were looking for or were you disappointed.  I hope you will come back again when I have gotten better at this.  I would like to include the blog I tried to post the day after I started..  It is as follows:

Update to Living Water…April 21.2012

John 4 The Story of the Well

Good morning friends!  It is a beautiful day in the mountains of North Carolina, one of those where you wake up, look out and see the sun shining across the hills.  Last evening as I was out for my walk, I noticed that the sun was receding at the very top of the mountain closest to my home.  It made the mountain light up a yellow green for just a brief time and then when I looked again it had gone dark.  Sad, but I knew it was just the shadow of the night to come.  In my heart I knew it would return again and it gave me great joy and anticipation of the next day.

This morning I am wondering how many others there might be out there who see the evening shadows fall in their valley without the hope of the new day coming.  There have been times in my life like that, but it has been many years ago that the Son of God came streaming into one of those dark days of my life and lit up the interior of my spirit with His Spirit.  And He brought with Him the hope of every tomorrow that is still there in my heart, no matter how dark it seems when night falls.  Yes, the night still falls, but never without hope that the Son will rise again in my heart the next day.

John 4:4 tells the story of Jesus finding another woman who had experienced many, many dark days and nights.  She was at a Well and she was all alone.  But Jesus, who had said “I must needs go through Samaria”, was there waiting for her.  Now I know that “must needs go” is old King James, but often the poetry of it says something that cannot be said in any other way.  Jesus, the Son of God, knew about this woman and He went out of His way to be at that Well that day to meet that woman.  No one else, just her! 

It is like that with every one of us!  Jesus knows us, each and every one,  just as He knew her and her particular needs.  He cares about us in the same way and He plans an encounter with each of us where He will bring His “Sonshine into our mountain” and any valleys that go with it.  Once that woman had that personal encounter with Jesus, she left her water pail and ran to tell others what had happened to her.  Many came to know Jesus because of her testimony. 

This is the purpose of this blog!  It is to share the Living Water of that Well where I met Jesus and where He waits today to meet with me daily as well as any person that needs a drink of that Life giving Water.  Read with me John 4 today and then close your eyes and imagine yourself approaching that same well.  Look up, open your eyes, ask Jesus to reveal Himself to you.  See yourself approaching Him and then imagine what you will say to Him today.  Listen, in the stillness of your spirit, for His voice back to you. 

He has the Words of Life and He wants to share them with you.  Now, reach for that dipper, put it down into the water, raise up to your mouth!  This is that water that tastes like no other you have ever put to your lips!  Drink deeply, let the Living Water bring to you that Life which has been missing.  Experience the refreshing of it as it goes down into your spirit.  It is the water which has the power to make you “never thirst again” for any other water.  Have another sip!  Come back often!

May the Son be shining in your mountain today and every day!

Note:  I took a picture of this scene and posted it to my profile!

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Evening Sonshine on the Mountains

Blogging for the First Time!

Here we go, off on another new adventure!  Blogging?  Who woulda thought?  Years ago before I was even on the internet, I said I would use the name twofossils.com if I ever should venture into the cyberworld.  That was about ten or so years ago and now, here I am today beginning a blog of my very own at the encouragement of my daughter who has her own blog, A Quilt & A Prayer.  She is teaching me how to do this as we speak.  That's the way the world goes round.  First, you teach someone something and then they come back and start teaching you things, like how to blog.

What a wonderful world!  I am looking forward to learning about this new world.

See ya soon!  Until then, may the SON keep shining in your world and fill it with His Light!