Friends at the Well

Paul Signac

Tonight as I have gotten a chance to visit around the blogs I like to drop by, I am once again touched by how comforting it is to visit my friends in cyberspace. I find it totally amazing...really! The other day we got together with some friends, and Strider and I (who were neighbors for years) started visiting about our blog land buddies. After a minute or so we looked around and realized nobody else knew who these friends of ours were in cyberspace. I think we both felt a little silly for a second, and then moved on in the conversation to more general topics. I do find it amazing though how wonderful it is to have met so many interesting people on the World Wide Web. I love all of my cyber friends, such a diversity of people. I love how so many people that I visit with share about their faith, family, friends, jobs, hobbies, talents and dreams. I love the fact that even though I am living the PNW, I get to hear from people in Great Britain, Texas, Florida, New Hampshire, the Midwest, and various parts of Canada. How wonderful is that?

I love this form of communication. It makes me feel more connected to life around me. I have mentioned this before…but it makes me think of folks meeting around the old town well, back in Jesus day. It was a place they went everyday to get their daily water. If they ran into someone, they had a little chat. They went back to their households and lived their lives, but some how those daily little visits of chance meetings…were something that added to their lives and made the day a little brighter, and gave a sense of connectedness. In this modern age we live in we hardly say a word to the people around us any more. At work we use emails and blackberries instead of phones and meetings, at the stores we use machines and check ourselves out, even the library these days you use a machine instead of a librarian. My kids have taken classes on line; they don’t see a teacher or a fellow student. It seems like we don’t have to speak to a soul all day long. With my debit card and a machine, I can get my coffee and my food. I even rent my DVD’s now through a machine. Rush, rush rush, we all seem in such a hurry heading for a destination, with little time for the people around us. I find myself getting sucked into that mode very easily. What am I missing out on?

You know Jesus stopped at a well, and sent his disciples off to get some food. He was tired and needed a rest. But when his disciples came back they asked him, aren’t you hungry? He said I have food you don’t even know about…He was about His father’s business, just by sitting down and having a visit with a woman he met at a well. So what am I trying to say here? I’m not sure, a bit of rambling really. But I just love it when I visit at some of your wells and get a refreshing drink and to carry me on my way. I know I have a lot of visitors myself who drop by but don’t leave a comment. My hope is that you found some refreshment for your day…just a bit of a visit, a peek into my week, sometimes a rambling thought… or two. And around my place lots of pictures of flowers… sorry Pappy and Strider ;0) and baby Puddin Toes.

I do want to say thank you to all of you who stop by, and especially to those that leave a comment, to let me know you have dropped in. Have a good week and enjoy your visits around blogland. You never know who is in need of a drink today and who you maybe blessed, to refresh...