A Moment at the Well

A Moment at the Well

I had an experience at “the well” recently (John chapter 4).

A woman had called our ministry in an effort to obtain financial assistance with her home fuel oil expense. After listening to her story of domestic abuse, events in court, and encounters with bill collectors, I agreed to meet with her at her home. I prefer to go to someone’s dwelling when considering requests for aid like this. You can discern so much more from stepping into a living space and talking with a person. Entering into a relationship, no matter how slight, is essential to bringing the Love of Jesus to someone.

This woman’s home was a considerable distance “back in the hills”. Before embarking on my journey I did my normal amount of investigation. I spoke with the Community Action Group who had referred her, being assured that they had done what they could to help. I then telephoned a pastor in the immediate area of her home to see if he could shed any light on the validity of her need. This shepherd did not know of the woman so I drove to my destination without much physical insight into her plight.

Upon arriving I was met by the usual neighborhood contingency of greeters; several unkempt dogs who circled around me trying to obtain some sense of my purpose by sniffing my pant legs. The woman met me in the driveway and we walked to her modest little cabin, taking rest on two shabby wooden chairs on the front porch. Almost immediately two young men appeared from behind the shack carrying weed-eaters like shotguns. She introduced these would-be gardeners as her son and her brother, both about the same age.

I set about conducting the usual inquiry. I asked her a host of questions, all introduced in an effort to determine the true level of the woman’s need. I won’t bore you with the details, but she satisfied each of my requests with documentation to back up her claims. Over the years I’ve learned that people who frequently seek help from outside organizations like ours usually have all this information readily available.

Having determined in my mind that our ministry would come to this woman’s aid, I called to her two companions, now energetically trying to start the engines on the two weed-eaters that had been exposed to the elements for an undetermined amount of time. I asked them to sit with us while I explained the real reason that our ministry was going to assist them. I began sharing with them the difference between religion and relationship. A small white church building, such as dot the hillsides throughout this area, rests on the other side of the road before us- empty of course. I pointed to the structure and asked them, “If Jesus were walking down this road what do you think He would do- visit that church house or come sit on your porch for a while?” That question alone opened up a dialog that lasted for thirty minutes. My hosts offered up various understandings of God’s love, often based on experiences in “church” or exposure to a twelve-step program for alcohol and drug recovery.

As we discussed the reality of Jesus’ presence in our midst, my mind was drawn to the fourth chapter of John’s Gospel. The woman’s “brother” said, “Preachers down here tell us we have to go to that church building in order to worship God!” Jesus’ words came back to me: “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks.” (John 4:23). I then shared the reality of what it means to be “born again”; not an external religious exercise that is undertaken numerous times in a person’s life, but a step by faith into a living relationship with God; one that is founded on the work of the Holy Spirit “welling up” as a spring of water from within.

The woman and I wept together over God’s Great Love. The men voiced agreement, though they remained somewhat emotionless. Mountain men don’t cry.

As I was driving away from this “front porch church meeting” my cell phone rang. My pastor friend, who I had called regarding this family, had some news for me. “I’ve checked around and those who know this woman have advised that you exercise caution when you visit. There has been some drug dealings witnessed at that home… and the woman has had numerous men living with her over the past number of years”. Jesus’ words as recorded by John returned once again: “The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband.” (John 4:18).

“I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” (verse 25). I’m sure that Jesus did visit with us on that front porch, next to the well. His Holy Spirit explained things to us by way of the conversation we engaged in. My hope is that this story develops in a pattern similar to that recorded by the Gospel writer; that this woman would share her experience with others, and that they would finally declare, “… this man (Jesus, not His messenger,) really is the Savior of the world.” (verse 42).

The Color of Certainty

Dear Mission Family,

If you’ve lived for more than a few minutes on this planet you know how quickly things can change in our lives. One moment you may be cruising along without a care, and the next you find yourself facing an immense crisis. This past week a family that we dearly love experienced just such a moment in their lives. Many of you reading this message were called upon to pray for young Daniel Duncan after he had been seriously injured in a mishap on his All-Terrain-Vehicle. He left home on his motorized journey never suspecting that the next vehicle he would be riding in would be a helicopter, airlifting him to a hospital in Lexington, Kentucky. As I record these words, Daniel lies in an operating room where surgeons are placing a tube to allow excess fluids to flow from within his skull. Before you get too far ahead of me, this isn’t going to be a message about the uncertainty of life. Rather, it will focus on “certainty”.

In response to my calls, enlisting an army of prayer warriors to intercede for Daniel, one of my daughters sent me an email telling us of her engagement in this spiritual effort. In her note she assured me of her dedication to bring Daniel’s need before the Throne of God, and she added a personal observation. She said, “…as I was praying for the family this afternoon God showed me a glimpse of a real rainbow in our otherwise rainy and dreary sky. It was absolutely breathtaking and I saw it only for an instant and then it was gone. I'm not claiming anything prophetic… I just thought the timing of it was interesting.”

As I meditated on what my precious child had shared I felt God’s Spirit tugging at my heart. Michelle had realized the presence of the rainbow for only “an instant and then it was gone”. Why was that? Did the source of that visual display of color in the heavens suddenly disappear? I wasn’t much of a science student, but I seem to remember that a rainbow often materializes when the sun’s light is refracted through moisture in the air. Once the rainbow fades from sight, does the light that created it also cease to exist? Of course not! If the radiance of the sun were to ever cease, we would all perish very quickly. Even during the hours of darkness that accompany our evenings, the penetrating light of that gaseous orb is still sustaining life on this planet. And we often see the evidence of the sun’s presence at night as we gaze upon our moon- an object in space that reflects the sun’s power, emitting no light of its own.

Pondering the beauty of a rainbow I considered its composition. As our eye embraces this wonderful sight we seldom, if ever, think about the water vapor and heavenly illumination that produce such a spectacle. Instead, our attention is riveted on the display of numerous colors that greet us. Moving across the spectrum, from deep reds to the darkest violets, our spirits are lifted by the very existence of this brief visual gift from God.

The scriptures speak only a few times of rainbows. Most of you know that God used this manifestation of light to signify His Holy Covenant with the living things of the earth (Gen. 9:12-15). The Prophet, Ezekiel, spoke of a rainbow while attempting to describe his vision of a heavenly being “surrounded by radiance” (Ezek. 1:25-28). The final book of our Bible, the Revelation of John, presents us with a picture of our Lord seated on a throne with “a rainbow, resembling an emerald, (encircling) the throne” (Rev. 4:1-3).

Envisioning the rainbow once again, I focus on the various bands of color. I’m touched by how they represent the presence of God’s Love in our lives. Each separate hue speaks to me of our Lord’s ability to meet us at any point in our distress. The color red might represent the moment that He came alongside Daniel, as he lie bleeding on the ground. Or deep violet may speak of the many times that Jesus has stood by me during those dark moments when depression would pay me a most unwelcome visit. Just as the rainbow becomes, if only so briefly, a reminder of the colors of creation, so we are reminded by its very presence that our Creator will meet us at any point that we might find ourselves. There is no circumstance, no matter how devastating, where the “Color of God’s Love” cannot reach. And the most encouraging aspect of the rainbow is that even when the visual display has faded, the power that brought it into being- the full spectrum of the Light of God’s Love- is still present. Daniel Duncan should return home in the near future. I am anxious to speak with him and hear of how it is that he witnessed the Color of God’s Love in his experience.

As I conclude this month’s message I would like to remind you of something. A rainbow doesn’t only appear during times of great storms. I often stand in the drenching spray of the waterfalls located on the Cumberland River near our home. In this serene setting I can witness numerous rainbows forming in the bright blue sky. And if you think that a direct beam of sunlight is necessary for the formation of this symbol of hope, try visiting these falls during the phase of a full moon. Our “moonbows” will move you to a new appreciation for the presence of God- at all times!

The Lord has smiled on our ministry with a fresh new color this month. Elyse Benson, from Elmhurst Illinois, has agreed to work as an intern with our ministry. She plans to labor with us until Christmas, aiding our work here in the hills and hollers, and seeking growth and direction from the Lord for her personal life. Please remember to pray for Elyse as she serves our King and the people of this county.

Thank you very much for continuing to stand by us as we “bring church” to McCreary County, Kentucky. Your support of this ministry is vital to the work at hand. We love and appreciate each of you so very much.

Comforted by His Loving Rainbow… Jim and Rita