Share your story...

I finished my own personal study of John about a week ago...I believed that after literally 2 months of studying this AMAZING book - I was ready to move on and begin something new. God had some different plans apparently - doesn't He usually? Ha ha!

Saturday night we went to a Casting Crowns concert in Amarillo - The Come to the Well tour. It was FABULOUS. Anyway, while there Joel and I decided to commit to sponsor a child through World Vision (more about our Juliett later). As part of the incentive for signing up - they gave us a copy of Mark Hall's book "The Well". I really didn't think much of it but all weekend it has been sitting on our kitchen table so this morning I thought - "ok, I am going to read this as my quiet time and just see what God has"...now, I invite YOU my friends to come journey with me as we take just another look at this woman at the well in John 4!

First of all, she is nameless. Ok, I am not sure why but this really stood out to me. Jesus doesn't think it important for us to know her name. I am a name type person - what's her name? Is it unique? However, as I paused for a few minutes to think about this; I came to the conclusion that perhaps, just maybe, we aren't told her name for a purpose. Could it be that Jesus wanted us to see her for more than what "society" knew her as? Could it be that in knowing her name we would focus on what the people in the town of Sychar knew her as and not for what Jesus knew her as? I think there is something to this - the point is that we are to look beyond her reputation (which was not the best), look beyond who society called her, and look to who JESUS called her.

Second thing that really stood out to me this morning is John 4:39 "Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in Him BECAUSE OF THE WOMAN'S TESTIMONY." What? Seriously? These people believed in Jesus because of the testimony of a whore, a prostitute, a tramp, an adulteress? YES! You see, Jesus can use ANYONE if they are just willing to share how He has changed their life. This woman who had a irreputable reputation was changed by Jesus that afternoon at the well. Her life was changed so much so that she RAN to town and was willing to stand before all those "good and upstanding" townspeople and share that she had been CHANGED!!! Wooza!!! I just have to say that if I had been in town that day - this would have rocked my world. To see this unclean woman come and tell me about a man who knew ALL about her past and showed her the living water - I think I would have been going "Say what?"

You see, what really got to me this morning was it wasn't anything drastic she did. She didn't go and move to a far off place to share her story, she didn't necessarily become all clean like immediately - she shared her testimony, her story of meeting Jesus face to face that day at the well! Many times as a minister's wife, I feel like perhaps my story isn't amazing, it isn't transforming, or catchy...then I have to look at it like this woman did. JESUS CHANGED MY LIFE! I was just as filthy and unclean as this woman and Jesus said "Come here Ronnie, drink of this fresh living water that I have for you!" That is a story worth sharing - a story worth retelling over and over and over!

My encouragement to you all this morning is this - SHARE YOUR STORY! Let others know how Jesus has changed you and made you whole - because of YOU others will come to know JESUS THE KING OF KINGS just like they did because of this beautiful woman at the well!