I've always loved the scripture where Christ offers the woman at the well "living water".
Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.“Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:10, 13–14).
I was reading past journal entries tonight and read two stories that I'd forgotten about (I'm thankful for journals) and that I hadn't previously realized, illustrated the same principles.
The first was an experience my son told me after returning from a group reenactment of part of the Mormon Pioneer Trek. I was nervous about him attending the activity. I wanted him to go but was concerned for his health. It was one of the hottest times of the year and my son gets heat stress very easily. We sent him with a hydration pack (a backpack full of water) to stave off dehydration.
He was pulling his handcart with his "pioneer family". In between watering stations on the trail, our son quietly said, “I’m out of water”. Multiple adult church leaders walking with the youth, ran up to him and poured water from their own canteens into his hydration pack.
I was very touched when I heard about this story. No one asked if he wanted them to share. They saw a need and immediately filled it. He spoke quietly. If the leaders hadn't been walking close by to him, they might not have known of his need. These leaders not only filled my son’s physical reservoir with water, they also filled his spiritual well to overflowing with living water by their loving concern for him.
The second story was one that I heard in a talk given by Truman G. Madsen (former director of the Jerusalem Center
That night I had a dream. I was beaten down to my hands and knees and was
conscious of a burning thirst. In the illogic of dreams there was somehow a
small cup filled with liquid—an unearthly liquid. It was radiant. It was
delicious. It was cool. But as I lifted it to my lips it was as if two hands
were placed behind me, not touching, but close to my head, and from them came a
kind of throb, a comfort, a warm feeling, and then the miracle. As I drank in
relief, the cup filled again and again. The more I sought to quench my thirst,
the more it flowed. A wave of gratitude came over me to the Christ—for in the
dream it was Christ. My impulse was to turn around, stop drinking, and thank
him. But then came the sweet assurance that my drinking was His thanks—that this
was what He most wanted—that this was His reward, even his glory, like a
gracious hostess, who takes delight in seeing her family and guests eat
heartily. I knew and I knew He knew, so I drank and drank until I was full.
Only then was He gone.Sometime later, these words in the Doctrine and Covenants leaped off the page: "For unto him that receiveth, it shall be given more abundantly, even power" (D&C 71:6). And elsewhere these words, "Yea, even more abundantly, which abundance is multiplied unto them through the manifestations of the Spirit" (D&C 70:13)."
In both experiences, my son and Brother Madsen were blessed by being willing to receive the water. It takes humility to give as well as to receive.
Because my Savior lives, I can be filled with Living Water and by sharing the love I feel from Him, I can help to quench others thirst.
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