Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer

Do you ever get so busy that you ignore other people? In too big of a hurry to sense their need. So tied up in your own thoughts that you miss the obvious. 

I do.

Maybe that’s why I enjoy accounts of Jesus meeting people one-on-one and saying something pertinent to them. Noticing them.

One example is the hot, dry day he stopped to rest on his trip north from Judea. He stopped at the well of Sychar in Samaria, which was unusual, because most Jews went out of their way to skirt around Samaria.

Except Jesus.

When a woman showed up to draw water from the well, Jesus asked her for a drink. Seems logical, but it wasn’t. 

Men in that society didn’t speak to women in public, especially Jewish men to Samaritan women who should have come to the well in the morning with other women.

Except Jesus.

That day, the woman may have thought a stranger in the area – a Jew no less – would simply ignore her.

But Jesus knew exactly why she came to the well in the middle of the day, and He offered her what she really needed.

He wasn’t in too big of a hurry to talk with her. He didn’t ignore her.

He wasn’t like me in the checkout line at the market, avoiding the eyes of others because I’m in a hurry or bothered about something that needs my uninterrupted thought processes.

He wasn’t like me when I squeeze into an airline seat and stare out the window hoping no one talks to me so I can zone out during the flight.

No, He wasn’t like me at all. He spoke to her, told her He knew she was living with man number six, but showed no offense or judgement. He gave her a metaphorical version of an eternal truth about Living Water—better than what the well offered—and told her where to find it.

But Jesus is also telling me something here. He’s showing me how to meet people where they live. In the middle of their need. Maybe in my checkout line at the market, or the seat next to me on a plane.

Jesus didn’t always do what was expected. Imagine that.

So now the choice is mine. In the weeks ahead, will I make the most of what could be God-ordained opportunities to show a little interest in someone else’s life? Or will I draw into myself, ignore the situation, and let the other person go away thirsty?

Read the whole account of the woman at the well in John 4:1-42

~

Mary’s pulse increased, throbbing in her already painful temple. “The property was bequeathed to me.”

“And you are from—?”

“Cumberland County, Pennsylvania.”

“I see,” the banker said. “We will need verification that you are who you say you are. Is there anyone in Cañon City who can substantiate your claim?”

“Excuse me?”

“I am sorry, ma’am, but we need proof of your identity. The property is under foreclosure and a tax lien and is to be auctioned off. When an heir appears contesting ownership, said heir has three years to redeem the property by paying overdue and current taxes. However, as I said, we would need proof of your identity. Preferably from a male next of kin.”

Mary took the will from his hand, thanked him with as few words as possible, and left. The distance to the buggy felt like miles rather than yards, and her jaw ached from clenching it. She didn’t know what to think or feel—angry, insulted, or cheated. She’d been so upset she hadn’t even verified what the mortgage debt was. ~Hope Is Built

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