Morning Prayer 23/100. To the well
To the well
The phrase going to the well has gotten a lot of use. The story of Jesus and the woman from Samaria (John 4). The proverb that if one goes to the well too often, her jar breaks. The risk that training too hard for road races or triathlon results in injury.
Exhaustion is the common element to admonitions about going to the well. Go too often and your bucket or jar may break and lose its usefulness. Go too often and your energy, your motivation may begin to ebb. Go too often and the water supply may run out.
If we’re looking into our spiritual well, it seems to me all of those can be overcome. At least, it’s worked for me when I’ve felt various exhaustions from creating my own too-many-trips-to-the-well syndrome.
Metaphysically, my bucket is the tools I use to draw spiritual “waters” (light, energy, grace, peace, joy) from my well. Prayer, journal, reading, conversations are all buckets that capture spiritual fluids. And sometimes I overuse them; sometimes I begin to realize a staleness.
I change my bucket. On January 1 this year, I switched from reading A Course in Miracles every morning to listening to James Twyman sing and read to me. Or I add a new journal activity such as listing Blessings I experience in addition to listing Thanksgivings.
I find new energy to take me to the well. That’s usually just a shift in perspective. For me, it’s realizing and reminding myself that I do not go to the well for just one purpose. I draw water from the well to refresh myself, to prepare nourishment, to cleanse my Self and my surroundings, to share the living liquid with others.
I know the water is without end. Even if my current well were to run dry, with faith and commitment I could dig another well, find another connection to the ever-flowing Spirit.
Nourishing Spirit,
you are the Source and the Supply of our living waters.
Our faith is the water provides us
every strength and joy and peace we need.
You are a fountain of blessings.
Our faith is the water is provided us
without end.
You are an endless well.
Thank you, Spirit, for our knowing
we have innumerable reasons to go to the well
and for showing us
the sublime refreshment if each and every visit.
And so it is. Amen.
Love and blessings,
08/11/2015
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