Friday, March 17
Rev. David R. Lyle
And because of his words many more became believers.
They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”
I think his name was Brian, but I honestly can’t remember. After all, I was only five years old, and I only knew him for a week. I was a first-time Bible camper, attending family camp with my parents and brother. Brian was a cool camp counselor whose blond hair emerged wildly from underneath a dilapidated San Diego Padres baseball cap.
Why do I remember Brian, or whatever his name was? Because I was a five-year-old kid with a broken arm and a crippling speech impediment, and he took the time to get to know me anyway. In my long, winding faith journey, Brian is one of the earliest landmarks I remember. He helped me to know that, in spite of everything about myself I thought was wrong or not good enough, Jesus loved me.
I don’t really know Brian. I’m not even sure I know his name. But because of him, I know Jesus.
I wish we knew the name of the woman at the well. Who was she? John doesn’t bother telling us. What John does tell us is that she told other people about Jesus. At first, they believe because of her testimony. Later, they believe because they meet Jesus for themselves. She fades into the background of the story, her work of connecting complete.
I don’t know what happened to the woman at the well after the fourth chapter of John. I don’t know what happened to Brian after he left camp at the end of the summer of 1981. I do know both these saints brought people to Christ. And I know that even thought I don’t know their stories, Jesus does.
We don’t know what will happen when we share Jesus with others. We may lose the thread of the story. But God doesn’t. Thanks be to God for those who shared Jesus with us. Thanks be to God for the opportunity to share Jesus with others.
God of grace, thank you for drawing us into the story of your Son. May we lose ourselves in that story as we share it with others. Amen.
Encounters With Christ 