The Encounter

I love when a persons journey in the Bible keeps coming to my mind,  or I keep hearing it repeated either in reading or in a sermon or a speaker,  I start to wonder what I am suppose to grasp from it.   

This week it is the journey of the Samaritan women at the well....  I was trying to make a decision and it kept coming to my mind,  I went to Sparkle night and I heard it again,   and now my Bible is open to these verses. 

I began to think what this would look like today,   what is the well of today and what would Jesus say if you ran into Him.  So I am asking for forgiveness for my creative expression ahead of time, but I think it would look something like this....

Its been a long day at the office....  everything seems to be closing in.... and I didn't think quieting time would ever get here.....  the load seems to never lighten....  never did I think I would be holding on to this so long....  

I have an hour and I have to be at another scheduled event,  not enough time to run home,  to fix dinner,   or to even worry what it will be like when I finally get home....    I will run Starbucks and give myself a few minutes....  to breath....  to allow my heart to settle down and prepare for the next performance of "I am ok,   I have it together....." 
, 
I order, gather and take a seat....  looking at my phone,  checking out facebook to see yet another feed of pictures of happy couples,  kids and political arguments.....   yet a little more dripping from my soul.... I thought I was running on empty a month ago but my soul continues to drip from the visuals of the documentation of all the perfect performance lives.... 

I look up....  out the window at the sun shining wondering why I am not outside enjoying the spring sun that is finally appearing....   but feeling way to empty....  used up to move.

I hear a voice that brings me back to reality.... "Ma 'me,"   I look up to see this man with long dark hair, pulled up like a samurai.  wearing blue jeans, sandals and a t-shirt that has "love heals" on the front...   I look down,  surely this man is not speaking to me....   He is fit, a picture of health,  with the most gentle of eyes.... surely he was speaking to someone behind me.... he couldn't be speaking to me,  I am damaged,  used up,  worthless... an ugly duckling....

 I hear it again, "Ma 'me"

There it is again.....   I look up and he is looking directly at me.  He continues to speak, "I don't know how to ask this without feeling intrusive but would it be ok if I sit with you?"  

I look around and see a few other seats that are empty and wonder why he would choose  to sit with me....  doesn't He see that there is a pretty athletic girl sitting across the room that he may desire to talk to more....

He goes on to speak....   telling me that him and his friends have been traveling to different places to help the people who need construction type work around their houses and can not afford to pay anyone to do it.   He tells me that he was a carpenter by trade but has found it very rewarding to help those whose hearts feel depleted,  and the widow who needs assistance.  

I just look at him.... still wondering why he is sitting here... but I enjoyed hearing him speak so I continued to listen and I asked, "where are your friends?"   he tells me they went to find food, that they were so busy that they didn't have time to eat,  that he needed a moment to breath and they dropped him off and would be return.  

He asked me if I would mind getting him some water while he waited for his friends to return.  He told me that he was very tired from his day and really needed a glass of cold water and to just sit for a moment.

"Why would you sit with me and ask me for a drink when I am just unattractive, wallflower type girl,   there are other people in this store that you may relate to more than me,  why are asking me?" 

He looks me in the eye with such a gentle, compassionate gaze and speaks....."if you knew the gifts of God and who is speaking to you and asking for water, you would ask Him, and he would give you living water,  life..."

I laugh... "listen,  your friends left you here without a wallet,  your asking me to buy you a water because your tired and thirsty,  so how can you give me life, much less living water!"

He points to my cup and says "everyone that drinks this will be thirsty again in an hour but the one that receives what I have to offer will never thirst for life again...  EVER" 

I look him again,   he isn't cracking smile but His face is full of compassion,  his eyes are searching me to see if I believe what he is saying...

He speaks again, " What I have to give you will spring up from within you,  it will be a fountain that is constantly overflowing from within for eternity"

"Okay.... Okay"   I search his face and see truth,  I look in his eyes and he is truly seeing me,  not in a condemning way but with love.....  how can he look at me with such love....  does he not know who I am.....  there is something different about him....  like it doesn't matter what my appearance is,  its like he can see straight to my soul....

"Okay, give it to me,   if it means I wont come here and sit and thirst for more.... give it to me"

He just looks at me with even more compassion and with a very knowing look,  he speaks softly, "why don't you go get your husband and bring him back here"

I look him straight in the eye and with a tone accusation state "I don't have a husband!"

There is that look again, he speaks even more gently to me, " I know you don't have a husband,  and the man your living with isn't your husband either"

"How do you know this?"   how does this man in front of me know such details about my life....

"Believe me when I say,  there is a day when you will never feel abandoned,  lost or alone again.   You will worship God in spirit and truth,  the Father longs for true worshipers,  those who trust in Him and believe Him when He says there will be a life where death no longer exists,  where a defeated and broken heart will beat with healing of eternal life"   he pauses,  looks at me and continues "I know your spirit seems weak from all judgments made from man,  you feel alone, you feel shameful for your decisions, thinking that true love,  true fullness can only be obtained from a man,  but I am telling you that fullness of life can only be obtained from trusting my Father, who holds you close and sees your beauty.   He sees you with eyes of love that is full,  filled with mercy and overflowing with grace."

Tears overflow from my eyes,   who is this man....  who is this man who knows my most intimate details but still looks at me with love....

I whisper "I know Jesus is my answer,  I wish he was here walking with me, talking with me,  he would explain the why's I have in my heart"

He looks me straight in the eye and says " I am HE"    "I am the one sitting with you"

As I was about to say something, his friends arrive,  they looked at us with amazement that he was speaking to someone but not once did they say to me "what do you want from him" or "why are you talking to her?"    They simply smile, knowing that he has revealed himself to me.  That I comprehended who was in my midst.  

I stand, smile, and know that I had just had an encounter with love.  

I walked in feeling defeated, condemned, and alone.   I am walking out wanting everyone to know that I had just had an encounter that changed my life,  he knew and knows my every action but still chose and chooses to walk with me every step.....