God taught me three big lessons in 10 minutes

This morning I was on my way to meet a friend for coffee and running a few minutes late. I was growing increasingly anxious over the slow drivers and the red lights and the pedestrians. I quickly grabbed the first available parking spot and jumped out of the car to throw some quarters in the meter.

A woman walked by and she was crying.

I asked her if she was ok. Her name was Tammy and she told me a story of her rough morning: a car accident, a friend was supposed to pick her up in Dormont an hour and a half earlier (we were in Mt. Lebanon, where she had walked after not connecting with her friend), her cell phone was dead and she didn't have a charger and she didn't have anyone's phone numbers, she lives in Squirrel Hill but didn't have her house keys because they were in her car and her car was towed, and she was in pain from the accident.

I asked what her plan was at this point. She said she didn't know and that she had just been walking around and freaking out. I invited her to come to the coffee shop so we could figure it out. We then walked a few blocks -- very slowly -- which made me even more anxious about being late.

When we arrived at the cafe, my friend was so kind and welcoming to Tammy. The three of us talked for a few minutes, trying to find solutions, and we had none.

Suddenly, a passerby knocked on the window. Tammy lit up -- "That's my friend!" she said. Her friend had been searching for 1.5 hours, and he happened to walk right by the coffee shop in Mt. Lebanon. I was amazed!

So in about 10 minutes, God taught me three powerful lessons:

1. God is actively loving us and very involved in our life.
Tammy was in an accident and a series of events followed that put her in a bad situation. She was feeling lost, lonely, and helpless, and God showed his love to her through other people. I said hi to her, my friend welcomed her, and Tammy's friend searched for and found her. God was active in loving Tammy in her tough time. Praise God! Additionally, God's love of Tammy was a gift for me in that I could witness how he pursued her and surrounded her with love. God is generous and his gifts are multiplied for his glory.

2. Trust. Say YES and then trust in the Lord.
When I said hi to Tammy and she told me her story, I was thinking that I had no idea how to help. No idea. And the only idea was pretty involved and inconvenient -- drive to the towing company, wherever that was, get her house keys, and then drive her to Squirrel Hill. All on a Monday morning in rush hour traffic.

But, God didn't call me to have the answers. He called me to say hello. He had the answers and he was going to solve this problem. We need to trust God. We need to stop our habit of only taking action if we have it all "figured out." We desire control and knowing the end result. Instead, let us say yes to the way God moves in our heart and trust that he will be with us and provide for us. God is at work, and he invites us to participate in his work, and he will accomplish his will.

3. Meet God in the moment.
I was "busy" this morning and feeling rushed because I had plans. I didn't want to spend time talking to someone; I didn't want to de-rail my morning. But it was a moment to reach out to the stranger. Bishop Zubik has said, "We are called to see Jesus in others and to be Jesus to others." And in that short time, God reached into our lives in a powerful way. We witnessed God's movement, and we were blessed.

Where did you see God today? When did you feel him stirring in you? What happened?

We know pain, but we will know healing and joy.

Photo by Maureen Kennedy Macel

"I tell you, you will weep and mourn... you will have pain, but your pain will turn into joy. When a woman is in labor, she has pain, because her time has come. But when her child is born, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy of having brought a human being into the world. So you have pain now; but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you." John 16:20-22

Jesus knew the suffering we experience in life. He came to share in our suffering so that one day we may be healed, restored and forever have joy. In Jesus' life, he endured immense suffering, and that's just the stuff we know about. There's a lot more about his life that wouldn't have been recorded in Scripture, such as the death of family members and friends, friends who had miscarriages, friends who lost their jobs, (he probably lost a job or two!), aches and pains, injuries, etc.

Jesus:

• was born into poverty.
• was trained in a trade and expected to work to support his family.
• lost his foster father Joseph.
• was rejected by his hometown as he began his ministry.
• mourned the murder of his cousin.
• was deeply moved by sadness and compassion for the suffering of others.
• was rejected by people in powerful positions who made life difficult for him by always trying to trap him, harm him, and embarrass him.
• was betrayed by a friend.
• was abandoned by his friends.
• was unjustly accused and condemned.
• was tortured.
• was taunted by a crowd in his hours of deepest physical and emotional pain.
• was publicly humiliated.
• was killed. 

Jesus is very aware of and attentive to suffering, and he always moves to love the person who is in pain. In his time, whether people were ill, or excluded from society, or lost in the darkness of sin, Jesus healed them and invited them to a whole new way of life.

He gives us the same kind of healing today, and invites us to allow him to change our lives. Our healing begins now and is made complete when we join God in the life to come. Only then will we be fully healed and restored, and then we will have complete joy!

One day, the anguish of our lives will be forgotten and all we will feel is unending, total, all-consuming joy. Jesus promises us, "Behold, I make all things new." Revelation 21:5

Have you met Jesus? I mean the real Jesus.

Jesus is in your love and in your joy. Photo by Maureen Kennedy Macel

John 14:6 -- Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

The other day I read this passage and saw Jesus’ words as ones of comfort and not a statement about Christians being the only ones who are granted eternal life. (Which, to be clear, while Jesus is the sole redeemer of humankind, the Catholic Church does not teach that only Christians receive salvation from Jesus. Read more below.)

The setting: Jesus is telling his closest friends that his time is running short and he will be with them for only a little while longer. He tells his friends not to worry and to have faith. He says that he is going to be with God the Father, and he will prepare a place for them there. His friends are confused, and Thomas asks, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus responds by saying, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Imagine that you have been following Jesus and participating in his ministry for years. He is your best friend, your mentor, your long-hoped-for Messiah -- the one who would save your people and make all things right in the world (justice, peace, healing, etc.). And Jesus says his time on earth is coming to an end, but he’ll see you again soon in heaven.

His friends are stuck. They do not want to Jesus to leave them. They ask the practical questions: Jesus, how will we know what to do and where to go?

Jesus tells his friends, “I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.”

When Jesus says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me,” he is trying to comfort them. In effect, he is saying, “You do know the way because you know me! You know everything I have done and taught and shown you. Follow me, do what I did, have faith in God and in me. That is the way!” And Jesus tells them not to worry. He will be the one to take us to eternal life with God -- “I will come again and take you to myself.” The initiative is with him. Don’t worry.

When we know Jesus, we know God. There’s a nice note in the Catholic Faith & Family Bible: “Jesus is our guide and source of information about God the Father. By knowing Jesus, you will discover a God who is merciful, compassionate, just, forgiving, gracious, and loving toward all people, committed to the liberation of humankind, and so much more.” Take it to heart, page 1340

God, the God of the universe, loves ALL people and desires for us to love him. He wants to be in relationship with us so we can find our purpose, which is totally in him. He wants us to know truth and to be free. He wants us to be filled with everlasting joy.

All salvation comes from Jesus, but not only Christians receive the gift of Christ’s redemption: “The Catholic Church respects everything in other religions that is good and true. The Church knows that Jesus Christ is the sole redeemer of all humankind… The Church teaches that all people who by no fault of their own do not know Jesus and his Church but sincerely seek God and follow the voice of their conscience can attain eternal salvation. However, anyone who has recognized that Jesus is ‘the way, and the truth, and the life’ but is unwilling to follow him cannot find salvation by other paths.” Youth Catechism, paragraph 136

What does it mean to know Jesus but to choose not to follow him? This is more than “knowing” about Christianity but instead choosing another religion or being agnostic or being an atheist. If a person were to encounter the real Jesus, he or she couldn’t walk away from Jesus. We’re wired for God. An encounter with the real Jesus would transform our lives.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of misconceptions and misunderstandings of Jesus, due mostly to mistakes and things that Christians have done that are very un-Jesus-like. The Jesus I know, the divine person who lived and died for us all, would overwhelm you with love, joy, and hope. I bet you’ve met him but may not have known it -- the love you feel for your child, your family, your partner. That’s God. The joy you have in loving relationships, in nature, when playing or listening to music, when doing an activity you enjoy, when you see something funny. That’s God. And it’s God speaking directly to you. Next time, say hi back. See what happens.

Where have you encountered Jesus? Ask him to show you who he really is. He will. God is always trying to communicate with us, and he longs for you!

Our truth vs. the Truth

Photo by Maureen Kennedy Macel

We all have our own thoughts, opinions, and experiences, and we tend to think that we’re right about things and the way we see the world. But it’s no surprise that many people think and feel differently than we do because of their own experiences – experiences that are true to them.

God’s love reminds us that we are to seek understanding in our differences. We must humble ourselves to listen to and respect other people’s truths, whether we see things differently. Let us not cling too strongly to our own thoughts, opinions, and experiences that we reject other people and lose sight of the overarching Truth that is God’s love for all.

In scripture Jesus performs miracles and heals people. Let’s look at two different stories of how Jesus healed blind men:

Mark 10: As Jesus passed by he saw a man blind from birth. He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva, and smeared the clay on his eyes, and said to him, "Go wash in the Pool of Siloam." So the blind man went and washed, and came back able to see.

John 9: As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus, sat by the roadside begging. …Jesus said to him in reply, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man replied to him, "Master, I want to see." Jesus told him, "Go your way; your faith has saved you." Immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way.

Now, imagine these two men meet and get to talking. One man might say, "I was blind, but Jesus healed me. Here’s how Jesus heals the blind: He makes mud out of his spit, puts it on the person’s eyes, and then the person washes it off." The other man might say, "No, that’s not true. I was blind, but Jesus healed me. Jesus heals the blind by telling them their faith has saved them."

It’s easy to imagine that both men would strongly argue their positions. Both are telling the truth. Both think they are right and are pulling from their direct experience. But if they fixate on their own positions and experiences without understanding and respecting the other person’s, they miss out on the greater overarching truth: Jesus' love and healing for both of them.

Working through differences is challenging, but the the Lord is our strength. When we interact with others, who is in control: The Spirit of God (humility and grace) or our egos (desire for superiority)? Let's ask ourselves: Am I listening? Am I trying to understand? Do I really see the person in front of me? Am I seeking peace?

Let's seek understanding and respect other people’s thoughts, opinions and experiences – their truth. Let's not become obsessed with our own truth that we become blind to the greater Truth. Let's always be mindful of God’s love, mercy, and desire for humanity to be united in Christ.

"In the perspective of infinity, our differences are infinitesimal." Fred Rogers, Dartmouth College, 2002

God has a plan. Trust in His love.

Photo by Maureen Kennedy Macel

In the Bible there is a story about a family that Jesus was friends with. There were two sisters and a brother, and the brother, Lazarus, got sick and died.

Here are some story highlights (the entire story can be found in John 11):

Jesus found out that Lazarus was sick, but he did not go to visit Lazarus right away, and instead he waited a few days. Jesus told his disciples, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him.” 11

Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 14-15

Jesus arrives and meets with Martha, one of the sisters. They talk and Jesus says to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’ She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.” 25-27

Jesus speaks with Mary, the other sister. Jesus weeps about Lazarus’ death. Jesus prays. Jesus glorifies God. Then Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead. 32-44

 

Here is what we can see in this story:

• God knows everything.
• God has a plan.
• God is with us.

Jesus knew that Lazarus had died. Jesus had a plan to glorify God with the miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead. Jesus went to Martha and Mary to support, console, and suffer heartache with them.

Jesus already knew what he was going to do, but he allowed Martha the opportunity to proclaim her faith and receive a miracle.

 

God has a plan, and he promises that he is with us through everything.  He says to us, “Do you believe that I love you? Do you trust me?” Let us say to Jesus, no matter the circumstances, “Yes, I believe!”

 

“For I know well the plans I have in mind for you says the Lord, plans for your welfare not for your woe. Plans to give you a future full of hope!” Jeremiah 29:11-12

TREE HUGGERS SUCK: Reject labels. Embrace the person.

Photo by Maureen Kennedy Macel

TREE HUGGERS SUCK. The words were glaring at me in a nasty font across the back of a truck I was driving behind. Nice. This person who doesn't know me thinks that I suck.

How often do assign labels to people so we can categorize and judge them? We look to elevate ourselves above others. Christians and people of good will are called to embrace people and not judge them (Matthew 7:1-5). Humanity is called to be one in Christ (John 17:20-23).

We might be using labels more often than we realize. Liberal... Conservative... Christian... not Christian... etc. 

When we use labels to judge, what we think we know about a person, we don’t know.

And so I encourage us to reject the labels and embrace the person. Jesus did this. And Pope Francis has given us a few examples of how to do this, too. When a label has been given to provoke and disparage, he has discarded the label and gone straight to the heart of the matter:

Pope Francis recounted a story: "A person once asked me, in a provocative manner, if I approved of homosexuality. I replied with another question: ‘Tell me: When God looks at a gay person, does he endorse the existence of this person with love, or reject and condemn this person?’ We must always consider the person."

When critics accused the Pope of being Marxist, Pope Francis responded, "Marxist ideology is wrong, but I have met many Marxists in my life who are good people…"

When the Pope was asked whether atheists go to heaven, he said, "The Lord has redeemed us all with the blood of Christ, all of us, not just Catholics. Everyone," he said. Some may ask, 'Father, even the atheists?' Them, too. Everyone."

So, before we slap labels on people to categorize and judge them, stop; and think of the person who is likely to be a decent and unique human being.

"I have a dogmatic certainty: God is in every person’s life. You can, you must try to seek God in every human life." –Pope Francis

How did Jesus rise from the dead?

Photo by Maureen Kennedy Macel

What does it mean that Jesus "defeated death"?

When Jesus was preparing to begin his ministry, he went off by himself to pray.  During this time, the devil tried to tempt Jesus to worship him with offers of power and wealth in this world. Jesus rebuked the devil and turned to God the Father in prayer (Matthew 4).

Now, imagine Satan orchestrating the evil and hatred in people's hearts that resulted in Jesus' death -- manipulating truth and planting lies that people chose to follow in their desire to hold on to power, to gain more power, allay their fear of persecution, allay their fear of loss of status and prestige, and satisfying their demanding egos, to name a few.

The devil must have reveled in his ability to humiliate the Son of God and make him suffer and die the most painful death. The devil thought he won. He thought he had defeated God and crushed what was good and true in the world. Jesus seemed weak. Jesus did not fight. Jesus was brought to utter defeat. Satan thought he beat God and that he had the power.

Or so it seemed.

God had a plan from the beginning about how he would save his people and bring them back into right relationship with him, a plan where his children could live forever in his love (Genesis 3:15).

This is why Jesus' obedience and trust in God the Father was so important. While the world seemed to have turned against him and there was no reprieve from the suffering that was to come, Jesus walked the way before him and accepted death on the cross.

Since Jesus was 100% God and 100% man, he was total divine love. Upon Jesus' death, the power of love and the Spirit of God within himself was used to restore life. This is something that no human could possibly do. This is why God was the one who had to save us, and he chose to save us by becoming human and dying in our place. But after he died, he rose from the dead. And by rising from the dead, God conquered death. Christ is risen! Alleluia!

Jesus promises that those who participate in his life and believe in him will have the Spirit of life. His Spirit lives in us and God will use this Spirit to give us eternal life in him.

Death had been defeated. It held no power over Jesus, and it holds no power over us.

"O my people! I will put my spirit in you that you may live... thus you shall know that I am the Lord. I have promised, and I will do it, says the Lord." Ezekiel 37: 13-14

"If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through his Spirit dwelling in you." Romans 8:11

Why did Jesus die?

Photo by Maureen Kennedy Macel

Jesus was 100% God and 100% man. God the Son became human and was born for us. He had a normal and faith-filled (Jewish faith) life working as a carpenter and hanging out with his friends. From the ages of 30-33 he lived his ministry. His ministry challenged society to change and showed the people in power and those who upheld the status quo that they had it all wrong. He came to show us a better way -- the way God calls us to live and love one another.

• Prayer: Jesus prayed directly to God the Father and called him Abba, which means "father." This blew people's minds and offended many. (Mark 14:26)
• Authority: When he was teaching people about the way to make God #1 in their lives and the demand of placing love at the center of every action and word, people were surprised because he taught by his own authority and not as a representative of other teachers. (Matthew 7:29)
• Ministry: Society at the time excluded anyone who was disabled, sick, and/or living a life of outward sin (we all are sinners!) because society wrongly assumed their problems were punishments from God. Society judged, condemned, and abandoned these people in need. Jesus went directly to the people on the margins and brought them into his love and healing. Jesus taught that God loves all people.
• People: Jesus treated women as equals. Jesus also believed that people were more important than strictly following the law, just for the law's sake. (John 5)
• Neighbor: Jesus taught people to love their neighbor as themselves. So they asked, "Jesus, who is my neighbor?" Jesus said whoever we see in need is our neighbor. (Luke 10:25-37)
• Brother:  Jesus broke down the walls of loving only those who are in our families by putting human beings into one family: "Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother." (Mathew 12:50)
• When did we see you in need?: Jesus told a story of people who saw him in need but did not offer any help, and the people asked, "Lord, when did we see you in need and not help you?" Jesus said that when we serve and care for the least in society and those in need, we are in fact serving him. (Matthew 25:31-46)

So, Jesus was pretty radical. We can see why he made enemies in powerful places.

Jesus, the Son of God, came into the world as a human being to be the living Word of God. Do we hear all that he taught us about the way to live? Jesus showed us how God created us to live -- with love in our hearts and with freedom from the selfishness, lies, and fear of this world.

Jesus did not say it was going to be easy to follow him. He was killed. Many of the first believers were killed. To this day, there is injustice and evil. But Jesus shows us that a life of love is powerful.

Jesus gave his life out of obedience to God's plan of salvation. He did not fight back or exert his power as God to stop his own suffering and death. He prayed for deliverance from suffering, but when none came, he walked the way before him. He forgave his killers and those who participated in his torture and death. He felt alone but still he trusted God the Father.

And God brought life and light and goodness out of death and darkness and evil. By the Resurrection, death was defeated by Jesus, the only one who could overcome death, and life was won for all.

God's way is not the easy way. In this world we have suffering, but we can trust in God's love for us and know that he will bring light out out of the darkness in our own lives, too. Jesus is with us as our strength to endure: "Remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age." Matthew 28:20

Accept the Challenge of Faith!

One day Jesus was teaching that he is the Bread of Life. He wanted us to know that when we believe and follow him, we will never want or need anything else. He is our strength and fulfillment.

Jesus talked a lot about this in John Chapter 6. He said, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." And, "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I give for the life of the world is my flesh."

Some of his friends and followers took issue with this idea. They said, "This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?"

Jesus said, "Does this offend you? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?"

In other words, Jesus says, "What if, right now, you saw me return to heaven and join God the Father? Then, I know you would believe what I'm telling you. So, if you know that God sent me and if you desire to do God's will, you are called to believe -- even the things that are hard for you to accept."

Some of Jesus' teachings are hard for us to understand and even harder to follow because they always call us to put Jesus first, and to let go of our ego and to love others, even when we have been wronged or offended, and even when we disagree.

We have the freedom to question and to go to God in prayer. Our lives are a spiritual journey, and we wrestle with some big things as we seek the Lord.

But let us ask ourselves: Do I just believe what I want, and therefore create a false idea of God that makes me comfortable and justifies my thoughts and actions? Or do I allow God's Word to challenge me and call me to a better way of life?

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9.

Do we desire to be holy as God is holy? (1 Peter 1:16)

What's in our hearts?

Photo by Maureen Kennedy Macel

One day Jesus was telling people that he only seeks to do the will of God the Father, and that God the Father had sent him into the world. Jesus, God the Son, was the Word of God. He was 100% human and 100% divine.

Jesus says to the people, "You have never heard [God the Father's] voice or seen his form, and you do not have his word abiding in you, because you do not believe him whom he has sent." John 5:37-38.

In other words, Jesus was saying, "Even though you have never heard God's voice with your own ears or seen God with your own eyes, you know the Scriptures, and therefore you should know God. But the Scriptures have not remained in your heart because if you really had the Word of God in your hearts, you would recognize me as the one God has sent."

As humans and ones who God has created, we cannot know the depth of the knowledge of God, and we can't comprehend the depth of his love for us (although we can see it on the Cross) -- but we can know the heart of God because we have God's Word: Jesus. And God is love.

If we know God is love, how do we respond with our lives?

Good and loving God, help us to understand your Word. Help us to live like we know you. Let us always keep your love in our hearts. Help us to treat others with mercy, compassion, understanding, patience, and respect so that Christ's love is brought to every person and every situation in our world. Let the power of your love be made manifest.

We Bring God Joy

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I have a little niece named Nora. She is five months old, and she is such a healthy, beautiful, and amazing little chub!

I love holding Nora, and she likes facing outward, and so I am thrilled to hold her and kiss the back of her little head. One of the most wonderful, joyful things is when she leans back and looks at me, to see who is holding her, and the joy and delight I get from seeing her face and her precious eyes looking right at me. It only lasts a moment, and only happens once in awhile, but it is awesome.

It made me think about how God is always with us, holding us. He is our loving Creator, Father, Savior, and Protector. He is always loving us, and we have no idea of all he is doing and the depth of his love. It's impossible for us to even comprehend his love because we are just humans, his little children who can't understand. He loves and loves and loves and finds such sheer joy in us. And occasionally, we take a moment to look at him, and I imagine that he is so full of joy and delight when we do that! We make him so happy and he would love us to just look at him all the time!

Good and loving God, please help us to spend time looking at you and to allow you to look upon us. We are your children, your total joy. Thank you for your love!

Think Outside the Box. Trust in God's Power.

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In John Chapter 6 we read that a large crowd of about 5,000 people was following Jesus. Jesus went up to a mountain, looked over the people and asked his friends, "Where are we to buy bread for the people to eat?" Philip answers, "Six months wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little." Andrew answers, "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?"

Jesus has the boy's meager food brought to him, and multiplies it so that the people eat until they are full and the leftovers fill 12 baskets.

When Jesus asked his disciples, "Where are we to buy bread?" The answer was, "Um, there is nowhere to buy bread; we're on a mountain." But, Andrew thinks outside the box. There is nowhere to buy bread, but there is a boy in the crowd who has some bread. Clearly, five loaves of bread would not be enough to feed 5,000 people, but Andrew presented it to the Lord, and Jesus performed a great miracle.

When we face challenges, can we trust the guidance of the Holy Spirit and think outside the box?

God is infinitely generous. Do we give everything we have to the Lord, and trust that he will multiply it for our good and the good of others?

Do we believe in God's power?

Openness in Encounter

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In the story of Jesus and the Woman of Samaria, also known as the Woman at the Well, Jesus is going through Samaria on his way back to Galilee, and he runs into a woman getting water from a well. John 4:1-42.

As with all human beings, she has brokenness in her life: She goes to the well at 12 p.m. instead of the early morning with the other women from her town, perhaps because she is shunned or is trying to avoid seeing people. As a woman she has no/very few rights. She has been married five times and is currently with a man but they are not married.

Jesus initiates a conversation with her and then reveals himself to be the living water that gives eternal life.  Jesus tells the woman that God the Father desires that people worship him in spirit and in truth. And she says, "I know that [the] Messiah is coming. When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us." Jesus says, "I am he, the one who is speaking with you."

She desired a Messiah, the one who makes all things new. She was thirsting to be embraced and to be made whole. The woman was open in her encounter with Jesus, and found in him her Savior who offered her freedom and salvation. She received the living water.

What are we thirsting for?

Are we open to how Jesus is speaking to us in our lives?

Jesus wants to be our living water. Do we turn to him as our sustenance?

A Promise of Something Awesome

Here's the quick story (John 1:43-51):  The first disciples (Andrew, Simon Peter, and Philip) have encountered Jesus and started to follow him. Philip is so excited that he finds his friend, Nathanael, and exclaims, "We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote." Nathanael questions this and Philip urges him to see for himself.

Nathanael goes with Philip and, "When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said, 'Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!" Nathanael is surprised that this stranger, Jesus, acts like he knows him. It probably made Nathanael curious and cautious. Nathanael replies, "Where did you get to know me?" Jesus answers, "I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you."

Nathanael knows he was alone during this time. Immediately he knows the Truth and proclaims Jesus to be the Son of God. Jesus responds, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these."

Read that as if Jesus is saying it like, "You think that's incredible? Just wait until I share everything with you -- you are going to be amazed!"

Think about a time in your life where something incredible happened that only you know about. It can be a big thing or a small thing. Maybe it's as simple as someone saying just the right thing at just the right time. Now imagine that Jesus says to us, "Do you remember that time when...? I was there with you. I know you. Come; I have so much more to show you that is even more awesome!"

Will you follow him?

[If you're wondering what it means to follow Jesus, then that's amazing and I'm praying for you! God is dwelling within you and he is also very near to you. In fact, that desire you feel to follow him is God himself stirring within you! The first thing is to ask God to help you (he's right there, just call on him with whatever words you want). Then, think about anything you've done that has hurt and wronged yourself and others, and tell God you're sorry (and tell the other people too, if you can.) Then, fill your heart and mind with kindness, compassion, love, understanding, patience, and all things good. That's a great start. Need help? Want more? Contact me or reach out to a friend or a church. Many people are praying for you right now!]