I have missed you, dear blog of mine! I think about you all the time. I consider what my next post is going to be about as I sit in class. I dream about who is going to comment on my entries.
Update: I was on Fall break last week, where this picture was taken in Florida on the lake. My life has been crazy as of late. And the thing is, I can't figure out why or what has made it crazy.
I feel like I have a pretty normal college life, not too many activities, yet I feel like everything I'm doing, I'm doing half-heartedly. And half-heartedly doesn't make me happy. I've been going to classes sometimes, blogging, homeworking, studying, reading, quiet times, conversations- all with half of my attention. And my other attention, well I'm not quite sure where it's going.
My current thinking, though, is that I'd rather do nothing than do all of these things with half of me there, and half of me floating in Mel-land.
So yesterday I sat down and was reading John 4 because I thought that I should keep the story fresh in my mind because my small group and I are memorizing is John 4:28-29.
Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people,"Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?"It seemed to me like kind of a strange verse to memorize. But, the catch is.... there is so much more to it than it seems, and that's what I learned when I sat down to read the entire story and think about it.
This was the first time in a while that I had put everything into reading my bible. And guess what? I got so much out of it. I think that's how stuff works, you have to put a lot into it to get a lot out of it.
The thing that I realized is that this woman left her water jar. To me, that represented the things that she got caught up in, the things she might be worrying about, the things that were causing her to lose sleep at night.
And, right now, I can totally relate to this woman. I have to leave my troubles behind with Jesus and go tell people about Christ.
I can't get caught up in this busy world. I can't allow the busyness to effect my relationship with Christ and the way I view this world. I can't put my hope in my grades, my relationships, my parents, my roommates, my friends or my sisters, my location, or the weather.
I have to make time for what really matters. Jesus has given me the freedom to just get to love Him and everyone else. And that's it, that's all that matters. He doesn't care about those other things that I'm caught up in.
Everything that seems like it matters, well it does not matter. And everything that doesn't seem so important to the world, that's what matters.
Backing up a little bit, before she leaves her water jar at the well, she and Jesus are talking. She says that she knows the Messiah is coming and that He will explain everything to them.
And the reply that she gets?
"I who speak to you am He." From JESUS.
How awesome is that? She's just sitting at the well and the MESSIAH comes and talks to her. I am trying to imagine how she would have felt, and it makes me excited to even think about it.
And guess what? We can talk to the Messiah every single day. And He cares enough to come find us where we are, whether we're at a well or in the library. And even better, we can leave our jars with Him.
That's it. The woman didn't do anything that was that hard. Not nearly as hard as I make it in my mind. She wanted to tell people about Jesus. She willingly left her trouble with Jesus. And I wonder what joy she experienced because of that.
So, this is my hope and prayer: that you and I will both leave our headache of the moment in God's hands; that we will forget these light and momentary troubles; and that we can rest in knowing that the answer is Love; and that you and I will find joy in talking to the Maker of these beautiful autumn colors.
