Refreshing Water

When I was about 9 years old our family moved from the big city of Woodruff to the Green Pond countryside. As children we lived outdoors as long as the weather permitted and the sun was up. As I grew older childhood games morphed into farm and yard work which during the Southern summers had a way of producing bone tired thirst and weariness, not to mention skin caked with sweat and dirt.

On the property where we moved was a hand dug rock-lined well which according to hearsay had been in use for many years. There is no doubt that initially a hand-cranked windlass served to hoist the cool water to the surface but by the time we made it our home, the well had been covered by a pump-house and an electric pump brought running water to the house. A spigot was placed on the outside of the pump-house, a nail was sunk into the wood gable above the spigot and a metal dipper was hung on the nail.

It did not take long to discover that a stop at the pump-house spigot served as a first pass clean-up; at least sufficient to allow one to be admitted into the house for a more thorough clean-up which was a prerequisite for supper. The pump-house stopover also served another purpose. After the water had been allowed to run for a minute or two, it turned noticeably cooler. The routine then consisted of filling the metal dipper with cool water, swishing it around a couple of times before discarding the first filling (this is called dipper sanitation), refilling the dipper with more water and then taking a big long drink of the most refreshing drink of well water imaginable.

Now you just couldn’t stop with one drink. It normally took a belly full before the routine was complete. When finished you wiped your hands on your pants and headed to the house. Oh and normally you let the water run just a little longer to fill the pet water dish directly below the spigot so the pets could benefit from the same refreshment. At one point during a drought in the 80s the old rock lined well went partially dry. My dad had to have someone come out and bore a new well about 40’ down the hill. The old well was abandoned but the original pump house is intact and the spigot still provides welcome relief. To this day, some 40 years later, if I am at my parent’s house I can’t pass by the pump-house spigot without taking a drink, even in the winter time.

Do you ever become tired and weary in your efforts in the Christian lifestyle? Do you sometimes feel the heat of ridicule or mockery because of your faith in God? Do you feel the grime of sin cover your body and you just can’t shake off the filth. Good news – God has a “pump house” which gushes cool, cleansing, thirst quenching, and soul refreshing water. Now to be honest, while we’re still living here on earth we need to get under God’s stream of water often. One of the best “spigots” that I know is the local church. Don’t forget to stop by to clean up and take a drink and get cleaned up for “supper.”

“…they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water.” Rev. 7:15-17.