Pausing to Refresh Your Spirit

Do you remember the woman who went down to draw water from the well and met Jesus that day? Can you imagine how she must have felt—a woman who had five husbands and couldn’t even associate with the other women in the village?Yet, she found Jesus waiting for her at the well. She went to the well alone hoping to avoid condemnation and found kindness. She went to the well hoping to get water to refresh her body and found water that revived her soul. Our culture is quite different from that woman’s, but our lives are just as harried and trouble filled. We are burdened down by so many of life’s difficulties. We face impossible demands upon our time that leaves us breathless, barely able to face another day.I am often surprised that no one thinks twice getting three meals a day, enough fluids and as much rest as our schedule allows. We know we must do this to remain physically healthy. When we don’t, we know we will need medicines and doctors to nurse us back to health again. What we do not understand well is our spirits require the same attention. Especially as we serve the Lord, we find others come to draw from our spiritual well. As our wells begin to empty, we wonder why we feel spiritually “stale” and worn out and sometimes “put-upon” by others.The woman at the well went down at evening to get water for her household. Yet, she came away with far more than she imagined. She found the Messiah and her life was never the same. When we take time to replenish our wells, we find we will come away with much more than we imagined.How is your well doing? Does it need refilling? If you eat three times a day, can you make time to replenish your soul at least once a day? Before we can refresh another, we must ourselves be refreshed.God provides the means to refresh our souls, but we must seek it out. And, like the woman at the well, we will come away with far more than we expected.Take a pause in your busy life and refresh your spirit and soul. Take a moment and connect with your Heavenly Father and Savior. I am always amazed that the God of the Universe greatly desires our fellowship. As you listen to His voice, study His words and convey your prayers, He will give you living water that will refresh your soul. In those sweet moments you will know how very much the Heavenly Father desires and loves—-YOU!