The Well | A Short REFLECTION

Recently, I had the opportunity to tour a friend’s farm with my children. Recounting to them some of the special memories from my childhood days of visiting the farm, they listened with great intent. One of them was especially interested in hearing about a well my friend and I had swum in as kids.

He asked me with great curiosity, "How big was the well, Mom, that you could swim in it?" I found out on this visit that it was 45 feet in diameter and 30 feet deep. When he heard those dimensions, I could see his eyes widening in amazement, and he continued, "Mom, how did you swim in such a deep well?" All of a sudden, I had become a hero to him. However, I secretly wondered to myself how I had done it. Perhaps I was young or did not know how deep the well was. But I am convinced that my confidence was due to my ability to swim and keep my head above water (quite literally).  

In the uncertain waters of life, what keeps us afloat? Just like the depth of the well did not deter my confidence because I knew how to swim, I wonder if difficult circumstances need not shatter our confidence because we know Jesus to be true. In addition, the complexity or the uniqueness of the situation does not change the character of God. We often worry because we have not experienced certain specific circumstances before. For example, we may have experienced other viruses but not COVID, or have worked at other jobs, but this particular job may be brand new. These may be uncharted terrain or swimming pools we have not swum in before. However, what is important is that God is faithful and does not change based on the uniqueness or difficulty of the path. On the contrary, He promises to be even more present in difficult circumstances. Isaiah 43:2 says, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze."

God’s supernatural presence provides us strength and courage to overcome our worries and fears.