“Jesus said to her, ‘Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.’”
John 4:13-14
It’s raining here in Wisconsin today. This summer, we have had a lot of rain, and the ground is super saturated. We would like a little less water at this point, but boy, everything is green and lush!
In the photo you can see some of Washington State, where a group from our church went last week for a spiritual retreat. We were in arid land – the air was so dry it was sucking water out of our bodies. We passed a wildfire on our way up to the retreat in the Cascade Mountains, and when the wind died, the smoke wafted up our valley.
In Wisconsin, we take fresh water for granted. In Washington, we appreciated every bit of humidity and liquid we could get.
How about in our spiritual life? What do we take for granted? Many of us have known Jesus for much of our lives, but do we take Jesus for granted? The living water that he offers, the eternal salvation and daily comfort? Do we think about our God connection and the ways we can share our faith story with others?
When we look at the lives of people around us, we often know people who are living in the equivalent of spiritual drought. A lack of living water and restoring grace. As we consider the gift of water we have in Wisconsin, maybe it’s time to consider the gift of grace as well, and share it with someone. Amen.
Pastor Anna-Lisa Hunter
July 23, 2024
Our train to Holden Village in Washington State, July 2024.