At the start of 2013, I prayed for a break from the struggles as 2012 had been almost more than I could bear. Thankfully, the contractors managed to finish the house with no further damage, and activity resumed to a new normal. Then, a few days later, the storm began to toss me here and there again. The phone rang, and on the other end was the assistant principle from the school. I was told my son would receive a one-day suspension for a brawl with another student in the locker area. The irony of this incident was that he was the least likely of my three sons to rumble with anyone. Then, mid-term grades came and my oldest son's math grade was less than satisfactory. Consequently, I grounded him, which led to a teenage outburst resulting in the two of us not speaking for almost two weeks. My husband and I were also at odds with one another daily. Our household was full of anger and rage, and I was losing the battle against the evil of this world.
On February 7, 2013, I wrote in my journal, “I am lost, and I don’t know how to keep going. Please, please help me! I cry out to you God!” Thankfully, a short time later, God laid on the hearts of two women in my church the desire to sponsor me on the “Walk of Emmaus”. When they asked me to attend the walk one Sunday morning after church, thoughts of why I couldn’t go came rushing into my brain…”I have classes to teach, my husband’s birthday is during this time, I can’t take three days off”. Then, God quickly destroyed those thoughts, and I said, “Yes, I would love to go.” Just as my life was forever changed on June 30, 2012, with the death of the young boy, my life would be forever changed as I set out on this walk with Jesus.
I am so grateful Jesus invited me to his well of living water even though I am so undeserving of his love and forgiveness. Like the Samaritan woman in the book of John, I have a flawed past and can't fathom why Jesus would want to save me. In John 4, Jesus asked a Samaritan woman for a drink, and she replied, “I am surprised you asked me for a drink, since you are a Jewish man and I am a Samaritan woman.” John 4:9. In those days, Jews and Samaritans were enemies so this was unheard of in Jesus’s time.
Jesus then said, “If you only knew the free gift of God and who it is that is asking you for water, you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” John 4:10. Then, the Samaritan woman asked him where he would get this living water. And, Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give will become a spring of water gushing up inside that person, giving eternal life.” John 4: 11, 13. During my Walk of Emmaus, I experienced this immense gushing when I surrendered my burdens to Jesus at the cross and said "yes" to God's will for my life.
Casting Crowns song, The Well, provides an awesome invitation of surrender through their lyrics. Put aside the things of this world and go to the well, accept Jesus’s living water and thirst no more. I am forever grateful that I made the decision to leave it all behind and accept Jesus's invitation. Stay tuned for more writings on my Walk of Emmaus.
By Jeanette Lytle