I have started to take down Christmas décors and I can’t help but feel a bit of nostalgia as if I am taking down one precious memory after another from a wonderful celebration of Christmas and New Year. It’s the same feeling as ending a fun party or get together. Your guests leave and you start the mundane task of cleaning up. The house is quiet again and life returns to its normal pace. Another similar comparison would be after an awesome trip with family or close friends, you go home, unpack, and then return to work. After experiencing that “high”, you slowly get back to reality of the daily grind and that feeling of excitement or happiness dissipates. You plan the next “high” experience either a get together, another major trip, retail therapy or anything that is out of the ordinary.
The period between January until February can be a bit dull. You are stuck between the memory of the grand celebration of the recent holidays and probably spring is the next one to look forward to (depending on which part of the globe you are in). In Canada, the lull is more heightened now that there’s the cold of winter plus lockdown that limits options for getaways even as simple as dining in restaurants or hiking outdoors. In a more somber thought, I think of recent deaths of close family friends and how it is for their loved ones. After the flurry of tasks, funeral arrangements, entertaining guests, and all other activities are done, the heart is faced with dealing with reality. There is no escape from facing the pain and loneliness. Eventually, the period of mourning ends, one starts to pick up the pieces of brokenness and move on.
Just as we welcome the “high” moments in life, none is exempt in dealing with the “low” moments. There are instances of celebrations of victories and there are instances of sorrow brought about by life’s challenges and trials. How do we deal with these “low” periods? In our effort to keep that “high” feeling, what things, relationships, or experiences do we pursue? A deeper question to ponder would be, do we feel that thirst and what are our attempts to quench it?
In our recent ladies’ group study on John MacArthur’s book, “Twelve Extraordinary Women”, we talked about the unnamed Samaritan Woman of the Bible and her encounter with Jesus Christ. The circumstances surrounding their meet-up amazed us and how in the end we know that this was not a chance encounter but part of God’s bigger plan. This Samaritan Woman has all the indications of being shunned by society. First, she is a Samaritan and, in those days, considered to be unclean by the Israelites because of their background on pagan practices. Second, she has a scandalous reputation as we learned that she is unmarried but had string of relationships with six men. Yet Jesus extended the same grace and even given her the privilege to be the first receiver of His greatest declaration. In worldly standards, we would deem this important revelation reserved to kings or lords and not to this woman with a lowly and immoral status. Jesus shatters our biases and even that of His own disciples. Jesus looked beyond her past and showed us that her response and acceptance at that moment is more important.
What was this outstanding revelation shared to this Samaritan woman? It was Jesus’ first time to declare to someone directly that He is the Messiah, the long-awaited Savior of Israel. He offers her the living water that only He can give. The earthly water can quench the thirst momentarily but this living water Jesus promises will satisfy until eternity. As the story went on, this woman accepted this promise of deliverance and out of her great joy, shared this to her community and brought them to Jesus as well. She has been instrumental in bringing the good news of salvation to Samaria and beyond.
With Jesus, life has a new meaning and purpose. He sees beyond our filthy past as what matters to Him is what we decide to do in the present. We can have a fresh start in Him. No matter if we are in our high or low moments in our journey, there is peace, joy, and contentment. Even in the ordinary, mundane, a death of a loved one or in bouts of pain/disappointment, there is hope, comfort and continuous anticipation. He remedies parched hearts with His living water that will carry us through in our time here on earth until the time we meet Him in heaven where we’ll live together in eternity. No need to exhaust ourselves in search for something or someone to complete us. Jesus is the answer.
Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”
“Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water?Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?”
Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.
- John 4:10-14
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