A Bucketful of Water

This morning I received the sad, though expected, news that another of my cousins passed away last night. I didn’t know him well but he was younger than me and somehow it has made me feel sad and slightly world-weary. It is what happens, I know, but he is the second of my cousins to pass away within the last few months, and it feels achingly poignant and sad.

So I spent time with God, thinking through a couple of the more well-known of the stories of Jesus. First, his walking on the water episode on the Sea of Galilee, when Peter asked if he could join Jesus and Jesus replied, ‘Come!’ Which was all very well until Peter lost his nerve, lost his focus, and started to sink. 

OK, I got the point. Hold my nerve, keep focused on Jesus, and don’t let the buffeting winds and choppy waves scare me. Easier said than done, but with God’s help, possible.

Then, as I prayed and thought through next week’s healing service which we call The Well, the Lord blessed me with a very vivid prayer picture. I ‘saw’ Jesus and myself standing by a well, peering down into its depths. As I watched, Jesus began drawing the bucket up, which banged from side to side, spilling and splashing cold, refreshing water everywhere. As it neared the top of the well, I expected Jesus to carefully fill a cup and hand it to me, thirsty and weary as I felt.

Instead, he took hold of the bucket and splashed its contents right in my face, laughing as he did so. I thought I was responding with how fun that was when I recognised that actually, I hate having water thrown in my face and so in the picture, I was recoiling and turning aside to avoid it hitting me. I wasn’t laughing.

How often do I miss the joy and fun that Jesus wants me to share in, because of fear, of dislike, of grumpiness? How often do I remain unrefreshed in his presence because I fail to allow him to splash me with his reviving water?

My prayer today is that I will remain focused and turned to Jesus and not turn away when he surprises me with blessings in ways I don’t expect. That’s my prayer for you, too.