“The woman said to him, ‘Sir, give me this water, so that I will
not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.’”
– John 4:15-16 (ESV)

Have you ever had an uncomfortable moment? As a young high school athlete, I can remember making the transition to a new coaching staff. Not only did I have to learn new plays and new terminology, I had to get used to new styles of coaching and communication. Our young football team had been battling the August heat and the fatigue that two-a-day practices bring. We had been banging heads and bodies for two weeks and were completely worn out mentally and physically. Practice was not complete until ten plays had been executed flawlessly. Pay number seven called for the right guard to pull and become the lead blocker around the left side. As the quarterback barked the signal, the ball was snapped and the right guard executed perfectly. Two steps into the play, we were horrified to see the left guard also execute perfect technique as he pulled to the right. There was a collision and then complete silence. We waited for what seemed like an eternity to see how the coaches would respond. The laughter surprised us, but when coach told us that practice was over, we didn’t wait for him to change his mind. As players and coaches, we had passed the test and were ready to move on as a team.

The meeting between Jesus and the woman at the well also created an uncomfortable moment. When Jesus asked this woman for a drink of water, she was stunned! She was a Samaritan and she knew Jesus was a Jew. Samaritans and Jews had nothing to do with one another. When the conversation turned from well water to “living water”, it became even more awkward. The woman asked Jesus where and how He would get this living water. Jesus explained that drinking water from the well would only quench her thirst temporarily, but by drinking living water, she would never thirst again. Convinced by Jesus’ words, the woman pleaded for Jesus to give her the living water. Jesus probed deeper by telling the woman to go and get her husband. When she confessed she had no husband, Jesus went on to tell her life story. The woman knew something was different about this man and later in the conversation, Jesus reveals that He is the Messiah. It was an uncomfortable moment, but this Samaritan woman’s life would never be the same. Her discomfort had caused her to move!

Heavenly Father, thank You for the lessons I have learned through the uncomfortable moments of my life. As my faith is tested today, may I draw closer to You. Amen.