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Have you ever been so caught up in your routine daily activities, or the busyness of life that you have forgotten to drink enough water, and suddenly you realize your throat is hot, crackling dry, and maybe slightly swollen and not only are you are developing a headache, but start to feel surly?  You feel like you have crossed a desert. Then you realize your body is telling you it needs hydration, so you obey and drink the water, and when you drink the water and it is the right temperature for you (I like mine joltingly cold with ice), you wonder why you did not think of this sooner?  After that, your throat thanks you, the headache dissipates, as does the surliness that started troubling you.

Or perhaps you are a responsible adult and more conscientious about your water intake.  Maybe you have had a similar experience during or after a vigorous workout, or mowing the lawn on a hot day, or during a meeting that has gone on too long.  The feeling I have in mind is how good it feels to drink the water, especially when you may not have even realized how parched you were.  Not only did drinking the water alleviate your thirst, but there are broader benefits of drinking the prescribed 6-8 glasses of water each day.  I Googled it. You may have more energy, an improved memory, you may over-eat less, and you may be less susceptible to colds. In the story of the Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus and the woman engage in what seems to be friendly banter about drawing water from the well, but they are talking about more than just quenching thirst on a hot day in the Middle East. This conversation speaks to me about my own human thirst for the “living water” of God. Just like my experience with the physical thirst, there have been times in my life when I have felt spiritually parched by my disconnection from God and was unaware of it until I noticed something “off” and began the work of reparation.  Then comes the, “Why did I not think of this before?”  I am telling you though, it comforts me to know that even at those times when I am busy attending to my ego, the living water still flows, diligently at work, waiting for me to drink of it gratefully and take advantage of what is gracefully offered.

Trevor Droesbeck

Archdiocese of Moncton, Office of Youth Faith Development