Gulp, gulp, guuuullllpppp!!!

Part II – Gulping Away!

A couple/three weeks ago our Bible lesson was on Jesus and the Woman at the well.  Can I secretly tell you that the story always annoyed me a bit? I thought it was cruel that this lady who is already the brunt of many jokes, ostracized and just trying to get some water would be teased with water that would make her thirst no more.  I felt that Jesus toyed with her emotions and that he took a truly broken woman and somehow abused the situation. 

God has constantly been working on me through that story.   He showed me that I am so consumed and obsessed with my current, physical, earthly needs…WANTS and He has to constantly get my attention. 

This woman would not have taken to a religious talk from a Jewish person.  She was already perplexed as to why he was at the well and especially why he was talking to her!  The first thing Jesus did was ask her for something.  The first thing Jesus did was show her that she provided value to Him.  Through being needed and having value, He was able to defuse a tense situation and enter into a bigger one. 

Jesus cares about me.  He cares about my needs….but they are not his primary focus!  His primary focus is only one thing.  Where. Will. I. spend. Eternity?  If that need is met, if that need is answered, then everything else will fall into place!  Seek first the Kingdom, THEN all these things will be added unto you …

If we look at people through Jesus’ eyes, we would see the need to strike at the eternal first and then focus on the consequential.  Sometimes God allows us to handle the consequential to get to the eternal. I find myself only meeting people’s consequential needs because I fail to be absorbed and properly hydrated in Jesus to see their needs (or them) through His eyes. 

I am like a wounded abandoned dog who has found food.  I have not been nourished in the Word enough.  I am starving and I hover over what I have carefully. Watching those that come near me asking for something or having a need then I lash out at them.  I guard my little bit of hydration and do not want to give up my little drops of God. 

Yet, God has a well full and over flowing.  He offers me WAY more than just drops or crumbs.  I just have to be willing to be there and take it!  (Seek and ye shall find!) When I seek and when I find, he restores my soul and gives me abundantly and I overflow!  Then I can give easily and without thought to those that surround me.  The joy of the Lord strengthens me and allows me to shine His light to those around me!

It is when I choose to drink in abundance and be filled to over-flowing that it will be seen by those around me.  They will come and God will be able to use me to meet their needs and expose or encourage them to drink from the well.  I will be an over-flowing mess of God’s hydrating goodness! 

I choose that!

In my running, I am a sweaty beast!  (can I get an amen?)  I love these ladies who can workout and they look like beauty queens after their run.  It amazes me!  I look as though I have come out of the shower and I am just GROSS!  I like to give credit to the fact that I am fully hydrated as a good person should be!  Yeah, that is just simply not always the case!  I do try to get in a boat load of water each day.  However, there are times that the sight of water just repulses me!  I just want to crawl under my desk to hide from the big bottle that is still full at 3 PM!  I just want sweet tea or root beer or….well anything but plain, bland, boring water!  Can anyone relate? 

Does it affect my general disposition for the day?  No!  I don’t see that it does.  BUT as I begin to have a craving in my gut and try to find everything to satisfy it, I know it is my body crying out for that water! 

Then the next day as I begin my run and I struggle, I remember the liter of water that I didn’t drink.  My mouth is dry, my pace begins to falter, my stamina is affected.  That boring, plain water is desired and flashing boldly in my mind!  Why didn’t I drink the stinking water!?  I even try to justify as I take small drinks of water along the way during my long runs!  I can hear my body laughing,  “I am crying out for water long before you started this run and you think a few drops is going to help NOW!?”  What? Your body does scream out to you?  Am I the only one?   

As I replenish my body after those runs, that water is no longer plain and boring.  It is the best tasting liquid that has ever entered my mouth!  I can almost feel it traveling throughout my exhausted wilted body and giving it life. 

If only I could recall those feelings and experiences, I would never hesitate to drink the needed water in a day. 

Today, I choose to drink my water!  Today, I choose to be hydrated so that my runs will recoup the benefits of their over flowing work in my body!  Today, I choose to gulp!

Join me!  Hydrate your body, mind and soul!  See what overflowing can look like in your life!  Be a hot sweaty mess in your run and for the Lord! 

Just one little photo!!  Check out this awesome MRTT morning running group!!  These ladies are so inspiring, so encouraging, so Ah- MAZING!  God is soo good!!!