Living Water- Hosanna

 

April 13, 2014

Dear Ones,

I have been back in China right at a week, my little charge and I safely arrived after some adventures and we are ever so grateful that he is doing well.  Now I look around and it seems so long ago as I see the dishes are piled high in the sink, there is extra laundry in the bin, and I follow a fresh trail of splashed and sloshed water drops to the large red bucket in the bathroom our house doesn’t usually look like this.  We have been without running water for 4 days so we won’t even mention the unique smell or the fact that I actually resorted to using some of the bucket water to semi-wash my hair yesterday afternoon.  I am considering all of this as I once again dip water from the larger buckets into a smaller one to be carried into the bathroom to use for flushing toilets and another for the kitchen to be used for washing some of those piled dishes.  I am grateful- we are blessed that even though it is not flowing through the pipes we have water available.  We still have bottled drinking water and we are all grateful that the neighbor is selling us water from their well.  That is where the large red holding buckets are being filled from. Onto carts, rolled next door, filled, and rolled back.  I smile and say a prayer of thanks that the power is not out so the buckets can be brought up to the various floors in the elevator and not up the stairs.  There are even more bottles of instant hand sanitizer sitting out all over and we are using wet-wipes by the hands full.  Water- we all realize the importance of it, the need for it, the problems created when there is a lack of it, and the disease it brings when the source of it is contaminated.  I reach in to dip another bucket though I cannot drink the water flowing into my small bucket it is clear, it is cold, pulled from deep in the well, and it will care for the needs at hand.  My mind drifts to stories of Rebecca drawing water for thirsty camels, of young women waiting for the stone to be rolled away so that they can water their father’s flocks, a Samaritan woman at a well meeting with the source of eternal Living Water…It is Palm Sunday, the well spring of Living Water flowed through the streets of Jerusalem.  “Hosanna- Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord.”  He is waiting, ready, expectant, willing, “Drink, that you may never thirst again.”

Grace in all things,

Mariah