A few years ago, we were having a family reunion at my Dad’s place on the French Broad River. My sister called it “Cousins at the Cabin.” There were lots of cousins there. We had watermelon, fresh picked berries, burgers, dogs, chips, baked beans, potato salad, and cobblers of all kinds. We had made our own water slide with 100 feet of plastic sheeting, a hill, a garden hose, and a drop or two of dish soap. We were using some inner tubes to let people float the river for about a half mile where the river passes in front of the property. We put the humans and their giant rubber donuts in the water at the neighbor’s boat ramp and they climbed back out toting their tubes at my Dad’s place. We were transporting them in our old Suburban affectionately called “Bessie.” We threw the tubes on the roof rack and drove back to the take out point to reload and do it again. The water was cool and refreshing and the water was flowing at a lazy pace. It was delightful on a hot Summer day. When everyone finished floating and came back to the house to eat, we parked the car and closed the windows, because we never knew when a Summer pop up storm could come in East Tennessee. An hour or two later we couldn’t find our dog, Sadie. She loves to run the property and lie in the water at the edge of the river to cool off. After several minutes of searching we decided to get Bessie to go look for her. We discovered that she had climbed into the back of the ‘burb when we were transporting the river-tubers and had fallen asleep, then she was locked in the very back where no one could see her. We were very worried about her. She was lethargic and would not drink any water. My father, who had done some research with dogs early in his medical training, said that once dogs reach a certain point of dehydration, they will for some reason, refuse to drink water to rehydrate. So, the panic ensued and my wife was headed to the pet hospital, come #&!! or high water. Sadie was given a very expensive IV, they said the fact that she had been playing in the cool water had probably saved her life. Soon, she was, thankfully, back to normal.
Sometimes I’m like Sadie when I’m spiritually dehydrated. After messing up and not acting like the One I belong to (i.e. sinning), for some reason I refuse to return to The Living Water. I identify as one who belongs to Jesus, but sometimes when I mess up I continue to go away from Him instead of seeking Him. He is the only One who can restore me spiritually and I, for some reason, don’t seek after Him and then I experience even more spiritual exhaustion. Sometimes I need others in my faith community to remind me to get back to Him for a spiritual IV. In the Book of Acts, not long after Jesus had been crucified, resurrected and ascended to the Father, Peter and John had performed a miracle at the temple and restored a crippled man to health. Many people were amazed at God’s work and ran to the place where the miracle happened. Peter took the opportunity to remind people to return to God and recognize Jesus as the Messiah who could save them. He also confronted them for disowning Jesus and denying His deity in front of Pontius Pilot by saying “Crucify Him!” Peter says, “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus.” (Acts 3:19–20 NIV) Why do we do that? Why do we refuse to come to Jesus when we are spiritually parched? I don’t know the answer to this question, but I am so thankful for God’s grace when He draws me back to Himself and He restores and refreshes my soul! Sometimes He even uses people in my faith community to remind me to get back to Jesus. Turn back to Him and be refreshed, my friends!
Hang in there people! God is always glad to be with us! I’m praying for us all!
