town

The Town’s Ever Flowing Artesian Well

I’ve said, in many other articles, that I loved to visit my Grandmother’s small hometown in middle Georgia. I have many memories as a young child and still think about those times often. We didn’t go there much–maybe 2 or 3 times a year, but each time was an investment of memories that stick with me even today.

One unusual landmark of the small town was a community Artesian Well. As a child, I really didn’t know what an Artesian well was, but I later learned it was a natural source of crystal clear water that flowed to the surface without the need of a pump. It is different from well water in that the water constantly flows, as opposed to having to lower a bucket down into a well to retrieve water. The Artesian Well was housed in a small brick building. A small metal pipe protruded from the ground and through the wall of the brick structure and it was out of this pipe that the water flowed.

It didn’t matter what time of day you drove by the Artesian Well, you would see someone with a supply of buckets or plastic milk jugs filling them with this cold, clear water. Even when no one was at the pump collecting water, the water still flowed. You have to remember, I was a City boy and whenever I needed water at home, I would just turn on the water faucets. I never could understand why citizens of this small town had to go to the site of the Artesian Well to get their drinking water. I soon discovered that many citizens didn’t have plumbing and running water. For those that did have running water, the water quality was so poor you couldn’t stand to drink it anyway. The Artesian Well was an eternal source of clear, pure water that was a necessity for the survival of the town.

I’m sitting here this Sunday morning and being reminded of God’s eternal grace; mercy; and blessings. I think of how many times HE has shown me grace and patience when I didn’t deserve it. I think of many more times when I deserved punishment and HE showed me Mercy. I think of the multiple times HE has blessed me and my family beyond what I could measure or even imagine. I think of how many times I’ve failed others, but how the Lord has never failed me.

It doesn’t matter what time of day or night I call upon the Lord, HE is there and HIS love is pure and clean. In my grandmother’s town, the people visited the Artesian Well at all hours of the day and night to get water because they had confidence the water would always be flowing to meet their needs, and they knew the water would be pure and clean. All the people had to do was go to the Well. How true that is of our Heavenly Father. He’s always there and all we have to do is go to HIM and he supplies all we need.

Where are you today with your Christian Walk? Are you tapping into the pure, eternal love that only Jesus can provide? Will you go to the ever-flowing Well today?

A Parade of Champions

Self-Worth

This trip to my grandmother’s small, middle Georgia Town was supposed to be highlighted by something special this time. At this particular time, my grandmother was the Mayor of the small town, which is another story in and of itself. She had invited my parents and all of us to make a visit on this particular day because the Town was going to have a special Founder’s Day Parade. We were told it was going to be a spectacular event with Marching Bands from the local High School; Fire Trucks and Police Cars from the area; winners of local beauty pageants; and of course the mandatory politicians of which my grandmother, the Mayor, was front and center.

When it was time for the parade, we lined the busy streets of the town anxiously awaiting the parade. Afterall, this was a town of less than 400 people so we wanted to get there early to be able to get a good viewing place on the street. I think I had seen more people at the buildings where I worked in Atlanta than were in the town that day, but it was interesting nonetheless.

After a few moments, you could hear the start of the parade with the sirens blasting from the one Fire Truck and one police car that protected the town. Then came the local High School Marching band which had obviously purchased new uniforms. They actually played terribly but that didn’t seem to matter. Then, of course, came all the politicians led by my grandmother, all doing the proverbial waves to the crowds. After what seemed only 10 or 15 minutes the parade was over.

What impressed me at the time was not the skill of the musicians in the band, or the fact the police and fire truck were not the latest models. It wasn’t that the politicians and others in the parade waved to the crowds any better than anyone else I had ever seen in parades. There was something different with the group. I think it was the pride and confidence of who they were that more than made up for what they lacked in resources. They didn’t care one little bit that I thought they were less than spectacular. They didn’t have the money of big city budgets. They didn’t have the latest equipment. They didn’t have the best of anything; in fact, you could argue that they probably had the worst of everything. Yet, that didn’t seem to matter. They were making the best impression they could (and a strong impression) despite what we would view as limitations.

I’ve used this lesson often in my Christian life. There have been times that I wouldn’t witness to someone because I didn’t think I knew enough about the bible. There were times I wouldn’t stand up for my Christian faith because I didn’t think I was a “polished” enough Christian to make the impression I wanted to make. There have been times in which I was ashamed to admit I was a Christian because my clothes were not the best and I was ashamed of what people may have thought.

As Christians, we have all that we need to make a powerful witness to others. What we have comes from our relationship with Christ and how we exhibit that relationship to others. It doesn’t come from what we wear; where we live; or that we don’t have the latest and greatest Christian witnessing tools that are available. Those in the World that are not Christian want to see Christians that are real.

Those that were in my grandmothers Founders Day parade were real. That’s what made the impression on me and that is what others will see in your life, it you will just allow that to happen.

Putting Ourselves Last

Self-Worth

I suppose I will always remember my paternal Grandmother as one of those rare individuals that always put others first and self last. There was no ego. No trying to make herself look better than someone else. She just always tried to do what was right and fair and it didn’t matter who was involved. Whether you were the richest person in town, or the poorest in town, it made no difference. You were no better than anyone else.

She lived in a small town that I have often said reminded me of Mayberry on the Andy Griffith Show. Everyone knew each other, both the good and the bad. Just good people. People that were hard working and actually had integrity.

She was a real champion for those that couldn’t speak for themselves or were mistreated or taken advantage of. She was a true servant at heart. Always making sure that everyone else’s needs were met before her own. In fact, she later became Mayor of her little town. I was so proud, my Grandmother the Mayor. She managed to improve the City’s water supply and was able to have the County’s first Nursing Home built in her City. Her natural abilities to serve others were just fulfilled even more as Mayor.

I have always been a rather picky eater. As a young child, she noticed that I loved spaghetti and would eat spaghetti even if I wouldn’t eat vegetables or anything else that was prepared. Rather than do what most adults would do which is to say, “you eat what I prepared for you, or don’t eat at all,” she spoiled me and made spaghetti. In fact, every time we visited and ate with her she prepared a special batch of spaghetti just for me. She remembered. And, she continued doing this up until the day she passed away. As I got older, I noticed that not only did she prepare spaghetti for me, but she prepared a special desert for someone else; or a special vegetable for another. She wasn’t happy until she knew she has pleased someone else.

Suffice it to say that I learned the real meaning of “it is more blessed to give, than to receive.”

The Town’s Ever Flowing Artesian Well

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