Rescued

It was Saturday night, Halloween 1992. We were "hiding" from the trick or treaters in Mama's room, eating and sorting through candy from the Fall Festival at church. I walked into the room and my sister was looking down. My heart started beating fast. Something was wrong. I sat down at the end of the bed, next to Melody, facing Mama. Mama said, "I asked Melody if she thought daddy [our step dad] was a good daddy and she won't answer me, just looks down. What do you think? Is he a good daddy?" "Yes". My heart is beating even faster. Melody looks at me, tears in her eyes. "I have to tell her, Sarah." Now I'm looking down, eyes filling. I can't believe this is really happening. Mama says, "Tell me what?!"

Melody begins to tell Mama the dark secret that I had shared with her earlier that week. I had to tell someone. I couldn't take it anymore. I had begged her not to tell and she promised me she wouldn't. Now I'm glad she's breaking that promise. Mama says, "Oh....I'm SO sorry!!!". She hugs me and the tears continue to come, but now it's like a flood for me. Relief. Forget hoping for a light, I am actually out of the tunnel! No more hiding this secret in order to keep our family of seven together, a very heavy burden for a 13 year old. The weight has finally been lifted. No more darkness, guilt, shame, innocence being taken away. And it was going to be a hard road ahead, but we would all get through it together.

We had a difficult journey over the next days...months...years, but our heavenly Daddy took care of us in every way. Instead of being just survivors, He made us overcomers. He healed and restored me.

So, every Halloween is a celebration for me. It is the anniversary that my heavenly Daddy rescued me from a hopeless, dark pit.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

II Corinthians 1:3-4

A Meeting at the Well

I was reading John 4 the other day and haven't been able to get this woman out of my thoughts. So, I thought I would blog about what it would be like to be in her shoes...or maybe sandals....

Read John 4:1-42 and let me know what your thoughts, opinions and comments are. :)

Jacob's Well in Sychar, Samaria. It's the meeting place for all of the women. Some probably walk together going and coming. They catch up on recent events or talk about them again and just have some "girl time". It's the highlight of their day. They vent about the frustrations of family life. There are less distractions pulling on them. They share secrets. Give advice. Gossip. They talk about Her. Is she going to marry this guy? Will he be Number Six?

She's an outcast. She may have set the local record - five marriages and now she's living with another man. Is he a boyfriend? A pimp? A friend with benefits? Will he ever ask her to marry him? Or maybe she's given up on marriage. Does she really have a choice but to live with him? There are few professions for divorced women in her day. She has been a disgrace to her family, so they probably aren't inviting her to come back home. She feels used, lonely, like a failure. Probably doesn't have many friends, if any. What about kids? Does she have any from these six relationships? If so, who are they living with? Will they ever forgive her for the shame that she has heaped on them? If only she could go back and start over again!

Going to get water at the same time as the other women is not even an option. If she even tried it before, she wouldn't dare do it again! It would've been bad enough after her first marriage ended, let alone her fifth! The whispers. The glances in her direction. As if the shame and guilt she feels and lives with every day isn't enough!

Then one day she goes to the Well and there He is. A Jewish man. What is He doing here? Everyone knows that Jews go out of their way so that they don't have to pass through Samaria. She quietly gets ready to draw the water. He's watching her. He asks for a drink. What???!!! He is Jewish. She's Samaritan. She's a woman. Obviously an outcast. It just isn't proper. Why would He even dare ask her such a thing? He says if she knew who He really was, she would ask for Living Water and whoever drinks it will never be thirsty again. Wouldn't that be nice...just imagine! A lot fewer trips to the Well...she wouldn't have to leave the house during the hottest part of the day...she could get the meal started a lot sooner...maybe get a nap in....how can she get some?

But that isn't what He's talking about. Who is this man? He's different. He tells her to go get her husband. She answers Him truthfully, but without a lot of detail. She's never even laid eyes on Him before, but He knows. He knows all about her. He knows about all six of the men she's been involved with. He knows what she really needs. A new life. Another chance. Is He a Prophet? She asks Him a question - something she has always wondered. Where should she worship? He isn't concerned about locations, just the place where her heart is. She tries to convey the knowledge that she has about the Messiah. And then He tells her who He really is!

She is elated! With all of her excitement, she leaves her valuable waterpot and runs to town. Who cares about her reputation! It doesn't matter anymore. The fact that the Messiah would even reveal Himself to her before anyone else in Sychar means that He considers her to be something special! She feels loved, accepted, forgiven. A heavy weight has been lifted. It's been so long! She'd forgotten how good it felt! She gets there and somehow quickly convinces the men to come back with her and meet Him at the Well.

And I love how everything is so beautifully timed. The disciples were "conveniently" sent to buy food while Jesus has His uninterrupted encounter with this Woman. Then as He is declaring that He is the Messiah and just before she leaves, they arrive with the food. He talks with them about spiritual food and reaping the Harvest just as this group of Samaritan men are getting close, eager to meet Him.

He witnesses to these Samaritan men who dared to believe what the Woman had to say. John 4:39 says, "From that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, 'He told me all the things that I have done.' " They invite Him to stay longer so that they can hear more and then even more people are saved.

All of this happened because one lonely, broken Woman with a bad reputation risked a lot to introduce some people to Jesus. Personally, I don't think that she could help but share. Shouldn't it be that way for me, too? But what about the other women of Sychar? Ever acted like one of them? I regret that I have. I forget to hate the sin, yet love the sinner. I forget about where I came from and how far I have to go. I forget about the grace and mercy that has been extended to me. This story has been a good reminder.

So, now I'm wondering about the rest of the story. Was the Woman able to hang out with the other women again? Did she marry the man she was living with or did someone else take her in? I guess I won't ever know this side of Heaven and then I won't really be too concerned about it when I get there.

It does seem like she gained some respect in verses 41 and 42:

"Many more believed because of His word; and they were saying to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world.”

Has it really been this long???

I cannot believe it has been over 10 months since my last post!

So, I thought I was supposed to have a lot more time to blog once I became a full time SAHM back in June, but it just hasn't been the case. While I'm still not sure why, I am having lots of fun making the boys my new career! I am also working on getting some things posted in the next day or so. In the meantime, here is a recent picture of the boys on our camping trip this past weekend sitting on "the couch" as Samuel called it. (Can you guess what he is saying?) :]