As Colleen points out in this chapter, there is a great urgency to her voice as Jesus reveals the treasure of living water he has for her. “’Give me this water,’ the Samaritan Woman forgets herself, seemingly demanding it.”  Mitchell reminds us that we too, “will insist and beg and plead that he come to our aid.”  Urgently requesting, “Fix it, Lord – quickly.”

In May 2017, I went for a routine mammogram.  After being called back for a closer look, I was lead to the Radiologist office for a consultation.  It was dark with just the ultrasound images illuminating the room.  My heart raced, my mouth went dry, and my ears began to ring.  He reached to shake my hand, but I recoiled it to my chest, due to its ragged condition from a hand eczema flare.  The doctor furrowed his brow and said, “well, you have an enlarged lymph node, it may be from your eczema, but you will need you have it biopsied to be sure.”

Already struggling with anxiety, this news completely overwhelmed me.  I began to pray with great urgency for the best possible result.  It was three long weeks of praying, testing, learning to trust God, and waiting.  Finally, I received word it was indeed inflammation and not cancer.  The relief was so great I sobbed.  In that moment, I felt the Holy Spirit reminding me to lose the anxiety but never the urgency with which I prayed during that time. It is beautiful and illustrates a great desire for God to always be near – to quench my thirst with living water.

1. What are some of the ways we can encounter Christ in our everyday life?
2. The Woman of Samaria’s healing begins by acknowledging and confessing the things that separated her from God. Do you also consider those things and regularly participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation?
3. The Woman left behind her jar. What are you being asked to leave behind?