A story about a well
Well, (pun intended) I have a story about a well. It's actually two stories about two different wells, but it's the same story. I heard it once on the radio and in the story, there was a well at an abandoned farmhouse. The second time I heard the story the well was in an oasis in the middle of the desert. The vessel containing the water in the first story was a bucket. In the second it was a canteen.
Other than that the story was the same. Thirsty and lost traveler comes to said well, where there is a vessel of water, a pump, and a sign that says in essence: "Under your feet is all the water you could ever hope to need. To get the water, you must prime the pump with the water".
The dilemma becomes do you trust the sign and prime the pump or do you drink the little bit of water?
There is a third option but we'll get to that in a minute.
This story starts out on Tuesday evening with a walk around Pond 3 on the base during my exercise time. It's a sunny, but breezy evening and I'm just enjoying some solitary time to commune with God in His creation. As I do, I'm reminded that when God calls us to do something, there will be a crisis of belief that requires faith and action. This is an obscure thought from a workbook called "Experiencing God" by Henry Blackaby. I haven't thought about this for years, but there it is and the thought is so strong I am compelled to google it and watch a little video about this concept during my lunch break. At this point I wasn't mad at God. That would come later.
I got angry with God Tuesday night. Life frustrates me to no end sometimes because when I think I'm going down the correct path, it seems that just as I crest the top of one hill, there is a drop to a valley and a larger hill to climb. I'm a why guy. I like to understand why and the Lord of Creation in His wisdom has tried and tried to beat that out of me. I'm finally to the point where some of life's whys just don't matter. Why has become obedience, if for no other reason than it's what God desires. I've been following orders my whole life. Anyway, let's just say I was mad at God and leave the why alone.
I made a choice though in that anger. I confessed it. I talked to God (I didn't yell). I was still mad but I did not sin even though the temptations were there. I tried to focus on Him and not me and I was still mad. I made that choice, though, in that anger to follow God. I didn't decide to toss it and go my own way.
I had to re-make that choice when I woke up yesterday morning. Four hours of sleep did not help matters. Now, I'm tired and mad... never a good choice. But I still talked to God and told Him that I chose Him over me and that I was gonna have to get over it.
I had to drive to my friend's house so he could drive us to Salt Lake. It took almost as long for me to drive the fifteen miles to his house as it did for us to get to Salt Lake. I hit every light red and there was unplanned road destruction going on along my route. I got yelled at by a crossing guard for doing the speed limit when the lights weren't flashing. I was ready to put my fist through the windshield, but in my anger, I didn't. I didn't even swear. I felt like it though. I kind of felt like a ticking time bomb just waiting to go off.
Focusing on things from above helps ease that pressure and I took some notes for my friend on the way down for a school assignment he's working on. We discussed what he's working on and made quick travel time to our destination. As we were less than a block away, for some reason, the stories of the well popped through my little brain and I heard myself ask myself "Or are you going to pour out the water on the ground just for spite?"
Well (no pun intended this time), was I?
Very good question.
When I hear things twice, I pay attention. I heard the story of the well twice.
At our meeting, the guy that runs the group that sponsored the class I took in caring for God's people was there and we chatted for a minute. I told him that quite by accident, I wound up helping the Men of Vision guys. Tom was kind enough to remind me that it was no accident, but Providentially, I wound up helping them.
God's Providence.
So let's walk back to the story of the pussycat and magazine. Or for that matter, Oregon of the day sightings. Or any number of things that I see that are out of the ordinary to me. God's providences sometimes lead me to being angry or frustrated for lack of understanding them. I had that dream that seemed so real. Was that God's providence a test to see if I'd run off willy-nilly without "testing the spirits" if you will? I don't know and neither do you. When I know what God wants, I'm all about doing it but what about when things are so vague or you're facing input or resistance from another of God's created who also has free will and the ability to tell you no.
Sometimes, you have to fall back, and all the way back, to the core things you know. I know God is. I know His Word reveals to us who He is and lays out a path of obedience for us. Whatever comes my way in life doesn't catch God by surprise. When I'm unsure, I have that to fall back on. Some days like yesterday, loving God has to be a choice to be obedient to a command. Love the Lord your God is not a choice. It's a command. It's the first commandment. I chose obedience yesterday.
And I got warned about pouring out the water on the sand just for spite as a blessing for making the right choice. Then I was reminded about Providence.
And then... I had an opportunity to share with a group of pastors what a profound difference attending our little conference coming up on June 13-14 at Christian Life Center in Layton (yes, I am selling you on this!) can make. I shared that reading a book called Maximized Manhood changed me and empowered me enough as a man that I gave the book to someone on the periphery of my life because that someone has children to raise. It hurt to share, but you know what, it was worth it. If one guy comes and we lead him to Jesus, it was worth it all. Sharing is gonna play into this story and you know me, I can't just tell one story. I have to weave the whole rug.
I'm not as mad at God at this point. I'm where I should be and doing what I should do. We can make a difference in others lives when we do that. Even in my anger, I was willing to serve God. But on the ride home, I'm still thinking about this whole priming the well thing. Am I pouring the water out on the sand? Am I gonna drink the water? Am I going to prime the well? Which well? OK, ask for wisdom.
I do.
I decide to prime the well and I did. In doing so, I may have spilled a little bit of the water by accident, but nonetheless I primed the well. I had to think about it for a while. I had to be led by the Holy Spirit to do it, but I did it. And then I left it with God.
I'm not mad anymore. But the story doesn't end there.
I have someone at work I'm trying to be a good friend to and some things happened in his life that he shared with me last night. In God's Providence, I shared with him my story about being angry, and having to make that choice to be obedient. It was a nice dovetail into something going on in his own life. I have also shared a copy of that book with this man and I told him what I'd said at the breakfast earlier. I left him with the words: If I'm willing to share this book with who I did (he knows who and what that relationship is), how much more important is it that I shared it with you because you're my friend?
Even in the place where I was, God found something for me to do to be a blessing to someone else and to see how God uses us right were we are.
I'm not mad anymore. In fact, I'm quite blessed.
Other than that the story was the same. Thirsty and lost traveler comes to said well, where there is a vessel of water, a pump, and a sign that says in essence: "Under your feet is all the water you could ever hope to need. To get the water, you must prime the pump with the water".
The dilemma becomes do you trust the sign and prime the pump or do you drink the little bit of water?
There is a third option but we'll get to that in a minute.
This story starts out on Tuesday evening with a walk around Pond 3 on the base during my exercise time. It's a sunny, but breezy evening and I'm just enjoying some solitary time to commune with God in His creation. As I do, I'm reminded that when God calls us to do something, there will be a crisis of belief that requires faith and action. This is an obscure thought from a workbook called "Experiencing God" by Henry Blackaby. I haven't thought about this for years, but there it is and the thought is so strong I am compelled to google it and watch a little video about this concept during my lunch break. At this point I wasn't mad at God. That would come later.
I got angry with God Tuesday night. Life frustrates me to no end sometimes because when I think I'm going down the correct path, it seems that just as I crest the top of one hill, there is a drop to a valley and a larger hill to climb. I'm a why guy. I like to understand why and the Lord of Creation in His wisdom has tried and tried to beat that out of me. I'm finally to the point where some of life's whys just don't matter. Why has become obedience, if for no other reason than it's what God desires. I've been following orders my whole life. Anyway, let's just say I was mad at God and leave the why alone.
I made a choice though in that anger. I confessed it. I talked to God (I didn't yell). I was still mad but I did not sin even though the temptations were there. I tried to focus on Him and not me and I was still mad. I made that choice, though, in that anger to follow God. I didn't decide to toss it and go my own way.
I had to re-make that choice when I woke up yesterday morning. Four hours of sleep did not help matters. Now, I'm tired and mad... never a good choice. But I still talked to God and told Him that I chose Him over me and that I was gonna have to get over it.
I had to drive to my friend's house so he could drive us to Salt Lake. It took almost as long for me to drive the fifteen miles to his house as it did for us to get to Salt Lake. I hit every light red and there was unplanned road destruction going on along my route. I got yelled at by a crossing guard for doing the speed limit when the lights weren't flashing. I was ready to put my fist through the windshield, but in my anger, I didn't. I didn't even swear. I felt like it though. I kind of felt like a ticking time bomb just waiting to go off.
Focusing on things from above helps ease that pressure and I took some notes for my friend on the way down for a school assignment he's working on. We discussed what he's working on and made quick travel time to our destination. As we were less than a block away, for some reason, the stories of the well popped through my little brain and I heard myself ask myself "Or are you going to pour out the water on the ground just for spite?"
Well (no pun intended this time), was I?
Very good question.
When I hear things twice, I pay attention. I heard the story of the well twice.
At our meeting, the guy that runs the group that sponsored the class I took in caring for God's people was there and we chatted for a minute. I told him that quite by accident, I wound up helping the Men of Vision guys. Tom was kind enough to remind me that it was no accident, but Providentially, I wound up helping them.
God's Providence.
So let's walk back to the story of the pussycat and magazine. Or for that matter, Oregon of the day sightings. Or any number of things that I see that are out of the ordinary to me. God's providences sometimes lead me to being angry or frustrated for lack of understanding them. I had that dream that seemed so real. Was that God's providence a test to see if I'd run off willy-nilly without "testing the spirits" if you will? I don't know and neither do you. When I know what God wants, I'm all about doing it but what about when things are so vague or you're facing input or resistance from another of God's created who also has free will and the ability to tell you no.
Sometimes, you have to fall back, and all the way back, to the core things you know. I know God is. I know His Word reveals to us who He is and lays out a path of obedience for us. Whatever comes my way in life doesn't catch God by surprise. When I'm unsure, I have that to fall back on. Some days like yesterday, loving God has to be a choice to be obedient to a command. Love the Lord your God is not a choice. It's a command. It's the first commandment. I chose obedience yesterday.
And I got warned about pouring out the water on the sand just for spite as a blessing for making the right choice. Then I was reminded about Providence.
And then... I had an opportunity to share with a group of pastors what a profound difference attending our little conference coming up on June 13-14 at Christian Life Center in Layton (yes, I am selling you on this!) can make. I shared that reading a book called Maximized Manhood changed me and empowered me enough as a man that I gave the book to someone on the periphery of my life because that someone has children to raise. It hurt to share, but you know what, it was worth it. If one guy comes and we lead him to Jesus, it was worth it all. Sharing is gonna play into this story and you know me, I can't just tell one story. I have to weave the whole rug.
I'm not as mad at God at this point. I'm where I should be and doing what I should do. We can make a difference in others lives when we do that. Even in my anger, I was willing to serve God. But on the ride home, I'm still thinking about this whole priming the well thing. Am I pouring the water out on the sand? Am I gonna drink the water? Am I going to prime the well? Which well? OK, ask for wisdom.
I do.
I decide to prime the well and I did. In doing so, I may have spilled a little bit of the water by accident, but nonetheless I primed the well. I had to think about it for a while. I had to be led by the Holy Spirit to do it, but I did it. And then I left it with God.
I'm not mad anymore. But the story doesn't end there.
I have someone at work I'm trying to be a good friend to and some things happened in his life that he shared with me last night. In God's Providence, I shared with him my story about being angry, and having to make that choice to be obedient. It was a nice dovetail into something going on in his own life. I have also shared a copy of that book with this man and I told him what I'd said at the breakfast earlier. I left him with the words: If I'm willing to share this book with who I did (he knows who and what that relationship is), how much more important is it that I shared it with you because you're my friend?
Even in the place where I was, God found something for me to do to be a blessing to someone else and to see how God uses us right were we are.
I'm not mad anymore. In fact, I'm quite blessed.
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