He Picked Me? Woman at the Well cont.

Rejection.

It's apart of life. Yes or No?

The past few years I have come to terms with some things in my life.

1. Not everyone is going to be my BFF. (no matter how hard I wish!)

2. Not everyone is going to love all my ideas. (no matter how great they are! ha ha)

3. Not everyone is going to understand the depths in which I have been through. (nor will some care)

4. Not everyone will laugh at the things I laugh at. (even though it's just to funny)

and last but not least.....

5. Not everyone will admit that all types of rejection can be painful. (no matter how "real" they get)

I remember a time when I had experienced rejection like I never have before.

During this time at one point I was driving down the road on a dark, dreary night. It was one of those country roads that seemed to go on forever. No street lights. No other cars around.

A perfect opportunity to scream my lungs out!

Oh yes I did.

The hurt, the rejection, the pain and the shame that I was feeling in those days I will never forget.

And sometimes a girl just needs to scream. You know?

So when I opened up to this book of the bible, John chapter 4, to a woman that I could possibly identify with, the Lord drew me into verse 1. There, I began to read the story of the woman who was definitely the most, unlikely candidate in many eyes, that day.

At the very beginning of this text, I read something that REALLY rubbed me the wrong way.

I think The Message translation of this is the best way for you to see where I'm coming from.

1-3 Jesus realized that the Pharisees were keeping count of the baptisms that he and John performed (although his disciples, not Jesus, did the actual baptizing). They had posted the score that Jesus was ahead, turning him and John into rivals in the eyes of the people. So Jesus left the Judean countryside and went back to Galilee.

Key emphasis: They had posted score!

What?

Are you serious?

Not so unheard of these days is it? "Keeping score"

But realizing that even in the ministry of Jesus, this is something that occurred, that was scriptural shocking to me! Because I began to think about the rejection that John the baptist must have felt during those days! The way that you and I, us unlikely girls, can feel at times. The way that the Samaritan woman most likely felt, at least once in her life.

But let's talk about this woman for just a moment.

I feel as though some background is needed on her! Because I want you and I both to understand the depths of what occurred in her life that day.

Where she was coming from and where she went from that day.

If we were to read further down into this passage we would see who this woman really was. So for the sake of figuring her out....let's skip down a couple of verses and then we will come back up. Ok?

All the way down to verse 16 listen to the conversation that occurs:

16He said, "Go call your husband and then come back."

17-18"I have no husband," she said.

"That's nicely put: 'I have no husband.' You've had five husbands, and the man you're living with now isn't even your husband. You spoke the truth there, sure enough."

Ok...so here is what we have to go with:

1. Girlfriend has been "around" with the marriage thing. Five times to be exact.

2. She was living with someone who was not her husband

3. According to my commentary, she apparently has a little "tone" in her voice while speaking this to Jesus.

Now...let's not go and get all judgemental on her because she's had enough of that over the years! But let's try to get inside of her soul, or at least "imagine" what it was like inside her soul for a moment.

Marriage is hard. No matter what.

And I realize that we do not know the exact reasons why all five of her marriages ended up broken, but we do know that this was a significant part of her life, because Jesus brought it up!

So knowing how hard marriage is, especially when it ends, we can imagine that her wounds were most likely pretty deep from the hurt she had experienced in each one! We don't know the details but I don't think it's important. Because we all know what it's like to be wounded from someone we love. Bottom line.

No matter what, she experienced pain.

And had she had some dark-back-country-no one-around- road to drive down, I'm sure she would've screamed her lungs out too.

Have you experienced pain?

Then you can identify.

I imagine that many people in her life "kept score" of what she had done wrong, the sin she lived in and the amount of times she had fallen flat on her face! Because you know...that's what people do, unfortunately.

So I believe that day when she came to the well that day and saw a Jew, in that day "of ALL people", leaning up so casually against the wall, perhaps her tone was a bit snippy, because she was looking to reject someone back that day!

Anyone.

Because when we are rejected by people, outside the umbrella of God's grace, giving rejection back just feels good.

But what we are about to come across is the most "unlikely thing" is about to happen to a woman who has been rejected, and rejected and rejected.

And for that.....I will see you on Thursday. =)

ps- The "shadow" post I was telling you about is coming, I promise.