Jesus being, well, Jesus

Jesus being, well, Jesus

These last two months have been a blur to me. I had to have chemo once a week into my bladder. Receiving chemo has been a journey. From the first administration of my chemo, my body felt very exhausted, and each week built on the last, and that exhaustion grew worse. The best way I can describe it is with marathon running or long-distance cycling rides. It was like hitting a wall in long-distance running or cycling. The wall is when your body stops getting energy from what you have eaten and starts taking it from your own tissues. The very core of your body, your legs, arms, and even your mind, begins to ache. When you hit the wall, it is almost too late to recover while competing. It felt like my bone marrow was aching. It has been two weeks since my last chemo, and my bones feel achy, but now I can work through it.

On Sunday, March 8, the Gospel reading was from John 4:5-42, “Meeting the Samaritan woman at the well.” This reading has always hit me hard, maybe even to the very core of my body, my bone marrow. Jesus waited for the woman at the well during the hottest part of the day. When she least expected it. Jesus asks her for a “drink of water.” Her response to Jesus is almost like a “Really” and a roll of her eyes. Can you hear it in her words, “You have no bucket, and the well is deep.” “ Are you better than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well?” But Jesus shows her the way, through Him. Jesus tells her that the water from the well, when you drink of it, you will be thirsty again. This water quenches the body, but not our souls. He continues by telling her that the water He gives leads us never to thirst again, but instead leads us to the gushing water of eternal life. In His water, we will never thirst, question, or wonder about the life that is to come.

I heard a mic drop in His words but not in His actions. God is a loving, empathetic, and forgiving God. He never wants us to dwell on the things that lead us away from him, but only wants us to keep our eyes on Him. This Samaritan woman may have had five husbands, yet she was living with someone other than her husband, but Jesus never condemned her. Jesus met her where she was, and in the moment when she needed Jesus the most. Jesus (mic drop) is the way, the truth, and the life. These words are the very essence of living as a Christian. It seems so easy to understand, but it can be difficult to believe in our souls. The words are easy to drink or to speak out loud. But living these words can be challenging, especially when hard times come our way.

These last three months have been challenging for me, but only body-wise. In December, I had my fourth surgery in three years. I had an understanding and acceptance of what was going to happen with surgery. Chemotherapy being administered into my bladder by a small Foley catheter has its own set of challenges. As I talked to other people about my chemotherapy, many would tell me there was no way they would do that. Yes, I can say that the way it was going to be administered made me very nervous. I would even say I was scared. It was more about pain than anything else.

“What is God trying to teach me, or how does this help in my ministering to others?” This question was my daily thought and prayer. I know that I was not being punished for my sins, and I know the sins of my Father, Mother, and Step-Father are not the reason for my illness. One thing that kept running through my mind is that now that I know I have never been alone, with God always at my side, it is time for me to show that kind of Love to everyone I meet. I have cancer. Those are simple words. No one is ever alone. I am a living testament to these words. I found these words to be true when Jesus himself called me to ministry. Jesus, just like the Samaritan woman at the well, called me where I was at that moment in my life. Jesus gave me His living water for eternal life. I never have to question again. I have been healed.

Where are you in your life? Is it time to accept the living waters of Jesus? Is it time to hear your calling from Him who is the truth, the life, and the way? If you are, let go and let the Love that never ends guide your life into the next life of Heaven.

I pray for you, and your life, and that you let Jesus meet you wherever you are in your life, right here, right now! Thanks be to God! Amen