| Moments for Meditation |
Creeks, Rivers, and the
Water of Life
by Fleta Mathews
“Ho, everyone that thirsts, let him come to the
waters.” (Isaiah 55)
“...and I will give him of the fountain of the
water of life freely.” (Rev. 21:6)
Water of Life
by Fleta Mathews
“Ho, everyone that thirsts, let him come to the
waters.” (Isaiah 55)
“...and I will give him of the fountain of the
water of life freely.” (Rev. 21:6)
When I was growing up (back in the dark ages), some of my most
memorable moments revolve around water - not walking on it as
Peter did, but playing in and around it at every possible
opportunity. Some of the fun was just splashing in mud puddles
after a spring shower or summer soaker, or making mud pies from
the sloppy stuff. Drawing a drink of water from the well in our
back yard or cooling off in the creek that meandered through our
acreage where we caught craw-dads from under the slippery rocks
brought satisfaction on many summer days.
Sometimes, one of my four older brothers would let me tag along
on their fishing outings in the deeper streams. I always wound up
wet! Just couldn’t resist the urge to dive in for a swim when the
summer sun began to beat down on my sunburned face or feet.
You can imagine how well that went over with brothers trying to
catch fish for the supper table! The other favorite creek I like to
remember was the swimming spot in our neighbor’s woods…Here
we girls competed with leaves, leaches, snakes and the
neighborhood boys. We always had to yell loud and long before
we got too close…”girls comin’ in.”
Deep River that wound through our little town was another story.
It was not only deep, but treacherous. I could only watch from
the banks as my bigger brothers swam or fished where one of
their companions had once tragically sunk from sight in the
churning currents. I still wanted to swim with them but was
always confined to the boat or river bank.
Lakes, too, from long ago, hold an unforgettable thrill of their
own. Skiing behind my brother’s boat in Summer and ice skating
in Winter still beckons me.
As I grew older, I was allowed to branch out to the beach. Here I
learned to love the wind, waves, sand and the sea…Even today, I
tend to wind my way back there to rest, relax, and rejuvenate.
Flowing water! What a wonderful way to wake up in the morning
or wind down at night. Even now, I”m overjoyed by the fountain
in our yard and the one in the pond behind our house. There is
nothing more relaxing to me than the sound of water rolling over
rocks, streaming from a waterfall, or ocean waves breaking on a
sandy shore.
As I treasure these experiences with water in its familiar forms, I
am reminded of the wonderful Water of Life found in the Word
of God. Water is mentioned 396 times in the Bible. When I drank
from our well many years ago, I always had to come back for
another drink … I became thirsty again! When Jesus spoke to the
woman at the well in John 4, he also spoke of thirst when he said,
“whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks
of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst…but it shall be
in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.(John 4:13-
14) In John 7:37 He does not confine this invitation to the woman
at the well, but to one and all. “…If any man thirst, let him come
unto me and drink.” And …”He that believes on me …out of his
belly shall flow rivers of living water. Rev. 22:17 says “ let him
that is athirst COME, and whosoever will, let him take of the
WATER OF LIVE freely.”
References: Rev. 7:17,Rev. 21:6,Rev. 22:1, Rev. 22:17, john 4:..
13-14, John 7:37,38.Isaiah 55:1
memorable moments revolve around water - not walking on it as
Peter did, but playing in and around it at every possible
opportunity. Some of the fun was just splashing in mud puddles
after a spring shower or summer soaker, or making mud pies from
the sloppy stuff. Drawing a drink of water from the well in our
back yard or cooling off in the creek that meandered through our
acreage where we caught craw-dads from under the slippery rocks
brought satisfaction on many summer days.
Sometimes, one of my four older brothers would let me tag along
on their fishing outings in the deeper streams. I always wound up
wet! Just couldn’t resist the urge to dive in for a swim when the
summer sun began to beat down on my sunburned face or feet.
You can imagine how well that went over with brothers trying to
catch fish for the supper table! The other favorite creek I like to
remember was the swimming spot in our neighbor’s woods…Here
we girls competed with leaves, leaches, snakes and the
neighborhood boys. We always had to yell loud and long before
we got too close…”girls comin’ in.”
Deep River that wound through our little town was another story.
It was not only deep, but treacherous. I could only watch from
the banks as my bigger brothers swam or fished where one of
their companions had once tragically sunk from sight in the
churning currents. I still wanted to swim with them but was
always confined to the boat or river bank.
Lakes, too, from long ago, hold an unforgettable thrill of their
own. Skiing behind my brother’s boat in Summer and ice skating
in Winter still beckons me.
As I grew older, I was allowed to branch out to the beach. Here I
learned to love the wind, waves, sand and the sea…Even today, I
tend to wind my way back there to rest, relax, and rejuvenate.
Flowing water! What a wonderful way to wake up in the morning
or wind down at night. Even now, I”m overjoyed by the fountain
in our yard and the one in the pond behind our house. There is
nothing more relaxing to me than the sound of water rolling over
rocks, streaming from a waterfall, or ocean waves breaking on a
sandy shore.
As I treasure these experiences with water in its familiar forms, I
am reminded of the wonderful Water of Life found in the Word
of God. Water is mentioned 396 times in the Bible. When I drank
from our well many years ago, I always had to come back for
another drink … I became thirsty again! When Jesus spoke to the
woman at the well in John 4, he also spoke of thirst when he said,
“whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks
of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst…but it shall be
in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.(John 4:13-
14) In John 7:37 He does not confine this invitation to the woman
at the well, but to one and all. “…If any man thirst, let him come
unto me and drink.” And …”He that believes on me …out of his
belly shall flow rivers of living water. Rev. 22:17 says “ let him
that is athirst COME, and whosoever will, let him take of the
WATER OF LIVE freely.”
References: Rev. 7:17,Rev. 21:6,Rev. 22:1, Rev. 22:17, john 4:..
13-14, John 7:37,38.Isaiah 55:1
| PO Box 145 ~ Charleston, WV 25321 ~ (910) 948-4307 ~ glennandfleta@juno.com |
MEDITATIONS
| MENU |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| PO Box 145 ~ Charleston, WV 25321 ~ (910) 948-4307 ~ glennandfleta@juno.com |