Recently, I was reminded of the story of the woman at the well. It is interesting how shame and guilt can cause us to change our lifestyles and patterns. If you recall, the woman at the well went to get water when no one was at the well. It was probably her shame of having been married five times (the latest was not her husband). Imagine the names that she was called by the village people. If told something enough, a person begins to believe and act accordingly. Suppose the woman at the well was told that she was not worthy; she was an outcast; she was not beautiful; or she was dirty. Believing that all of these names applied to her, she wore that trademark on her sleeve (much like Hester Prynne wore the letter “A” in The Scarlet Letter). One encounter was the changing point of her life: meeting Jesus. When she left the well that day she knew that her life would be forever-changed for the better. How often do you encounter a woman at the well and giving a few encouraging words may be a game changer in her life?
Jesus, worn out by the trip, sat down at the well. It was noon. A woman, a Samaritan, came to draw water. Jesus said, “Would you give me a drink of water?” The Samaritan woman, taken aback, asked, “How come you, a Jew, are asking me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?” (Jews in those days wouldn’t be caught dead talking to Samaritans.) Jesus answered, “If you knew the generosity of God and who I am, you would be asking me for a drink, and I would give you fresh, living water.” Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again and again. Anyone who drinks the water I give will never thirst—not ever. The water I give will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life.” The woman said, “Sir, give me this water so I won’t ever get thirsty, won’t ever have to come back to this well again!”He said, “Go call your husband and then come back.” “I have no husband,” she said. “That’s nicely put: ‘I have no husband.’ You’ve had five husbands, and the man you’re living with now isn’t even your husband. You spoke the truth there, sure enough.”… “It’s who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That’s the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship. God is sheer being itself—Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration.”…Just then his disciples came back. They were shocked. They couldn’t believe he was talking with that kind of woman. No one said what they were all thinking, but their faces showed it. The woman took the hint and left. In her confusion she left her water pot. Back in the village she told the people, “Come see a man who knew all about the things I did, who knows me inside and out…(John 4:6-30).
Isn’t it interesting that with all of the judgement this woman faced, she also felt the disapproval of the disciples in their facial expressions? They said nothing, but she knew that she was being judged. How often does what we think about a person show in our facial expressions? What is your chance encounter where you can make a difference and change a person’s perspective about themselves?
In the world of education, chance meetings happen often. As educators, we are told to change children’s lives one child at a time. There are times when what we say may not have an immediate, visible impact, but the effects of it show up years later when the student writes and explains how your one comment changed his life. We may not always see how an encouraging word influences outcome, but we have to believe that it does in some cases.
At the beginning of every school year, students have to introduce themselves by telling an interesting fact or use an adjective that begins with the first letter of their names. My freshmen were given this task that yielded results like Joyous Judy, Eccentric Elizabeth, Marvelous Michael, Awesome Alec, etc. These introductions can be so much fun, but it only takes one wrong adjective to change the dynamics of the class. Well, this year one of my students introduced herself and Lame Lauren. I thought she was seeking attention or trying to be funny, but something in her countenance told me that she believed she was lame and boring. I felt the need to charge my class with the task of not letting any new student sit and eat alone for lunch. After class, Lauren walked up to me, and I asked why she felt she was lame? She told me that usually she was slower in her work and understanding than most students, and she was always behind. Lauren had just transferred in from a smaller high school to this enormous school where she knew no one or had any friends. I told her that it was our job this semester to change her adjective from “lame” to lovely, lively, laughing, or lady.
Her comment and story struck me and stuck with me for most of the Labor Day weekend! I started thinking about the woman at the well and her one (not by chance) encounter with Jesus. How often does that one encouraging word change a perspective, lend compassion, and renew faith? Lauren is like the woman at the well except that the enormous high school is her well.
How easy is it to break down the well-being of another with our words and mannerisms when it is much easier and much more positive to uplift? On the second day of school, Lauren came up after class and said that she had made a friend, and her entire demeanor had changed. While we still have work to do, I believe that Lauren could possibly be transformed at her well. What will you do the next time you encounter someone at the well? What does their well look like? How can you be the changer or encourager for them?
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