“The woman said to him, 

“Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” -John 4:15

She takes two buses to get to Jacob's Well Church, and yesterday she responded to the gospel call at the end of the message on the woman at the well in John 4.

 “…whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” -John 4:14

When I saw her hand raised I felt the resonance of Heavenly joy echoing in my soul knowing:

“…there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.” -Jesus (Luke 15:10)

Gospel work is labor and we don’t always see the outcomes of the sowing but sometimes we do.

 John‬ ‭4‬:‭35‬-‭38‬ ‭

“Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.””

The response from this young woman was in part the result of the faithful work of many gospel workers in the fields. 

I met her while she was staying at the Union Gospel Mission’s Crisis Shelter for Women and Children. 

It was a step for her to the next step of getting out of a cycle of homelessness. 

She’s now in a home and working and…coming to Church.

 When we first met her she was not ready to respond to Christ. 

Sunday she was open for Him to work within her.

  Ministries like UGM are simply places where activated Christians are serving the city. 

Churches send out their members to do the work of God. 

Our Sunday services equip the people of God to do the works He’s called them to do.

 Together we are digging wells, but only Jesus opens the streams of living water that feed the wells.

 “There the Israelites sang this song: 

“Spring up, O well! Yes, sing its praises! Sing of this well, which princes dug, which great leaders hollowed out with their scepters and staffs,” -‭‭Numbers‬ ‭21‬:‭17‬-‭18

‬Pray that the Lord will create a well of living water within her and by His Spirit enable her to drink of that life giving spring welling up to eternity."

Pastor Eric. 

 

A Gentle Reconciliation 

 "I saw her serving as I approached the salad bar apprehensively. Our interactions over the last months have been few, but tense. 

Mainly because the first time we talked one-on-one, she put me on trial for the sins of the patriarchy and the misogyny of her experiences as a woman in the church and life.

 It was a troubling peek into a soul that had suffered hurt and she seemed bent on taking that out on any man that triggered her.

 I’m a fairly easy target as one of the handful of men at a crisis shelter for women and children. 

“Why are you here?” is a legitimate question I have to answer. 

I try to walk softly and serve gently as I build trust through the consistency of being a kind presence at Union Gospel Mission shelters.

 At times those intentions take a while to convince some women, and others just keep their distance. Others throw the punch first anticipating a fight and they figure it’s better to come out swinging then get sucker punched by another man. 

I’ve got plenty of scars and bruises from years of pastoring in this reality of cultural brokenness. I try to stay focused and trust the Lord for whatever is needed to find a way to friendlier ground.

 Sometimes this happens. 

As I approached her and asked for the various items for my salad, she paused and looked at me and said: 

“I’m sorry for the way I treated you the last time I saw you…I have issues.”

I was a bit stunned at her conciliatory words and demeanor. I accepted her kind apology and said, I understood, and joked “we all have issues” as I moved down the salad bar.

 After chapel she paused as she was walking out and said: “Thank you, what you said was helpful to me.”

I’ve been simmering in the soft glow of reconciliation, grateful for small steps of meaningful bridge building. 

It’s not always easy, but these moments are encouraging. 

Thank you for the prayers ever offered, they sustain and support the work of love." 

Pastor Eric Blauer.