scripture readings reflections prayers renewed by living wateri carry my water bottle with me all...

Daily Lenten Devotionsscripture readings • reflections • prayers

ldsGleaning America’s FieFeeding America’s Hungry

Renewed by Living Water

How quickly the joy of Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday turns to the horror of his arrest, then to the mourning of his crucifix-ion, and then seeing Jesus-alive-Easter Day! What a mix of emotions the followers of Jesus must have experienced. What uncertainty!

Consider others as they are in the midst of their own drastic chang-es. Some have lost jobs while others have lost their homes. Finances have been depleted, but their children are still hungry. What are they to do? Where are they to turn?

You, our donors and gleaners, are heroes who leap to the rescue by giving your gifts, along with your hands and feet, to help meet the physical needs of others. The farmers who work with us have been blessed with an abundant harvest, over and above their contracted crops. They generously share the abundance so that people in need receive good, nutritious food, but it takes you to keep the food mov-ing from the farm to the plates of our hungry neighbors.

Forty-one years ago, SoSA resurrected the ancient, biblical practice of gleaning for the purpose of feeding the hungry, the poor and the traveler and brought it into the 20 th century. Now, in the 21st century, God’s plan still works, and so do we here at SoSA!

We provide these devotionals as a free resource, with the hope that you, our honored readers, will join with us in this quest to continue God’s gleaning plan. It takes your efforts, and it takes your financial gifts. Every $1 that you donate provides about 30 servings of healthy food to those in greatest need! Consider donating $46 for the 46 days in Lent. You will provide more than 1,500 servings. What a way to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and give hope to our hungry neighbors! Thank you for all you do to feed others through the Society of St. Andrew!

This booklet may be freely copied and distributed, but its content may not be changed or altered in re-distribution. Each author retains copyright to his/her own written words.

Lent is a time of self-examination, evaluation, and sometimes drastic changes!

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Ash Wednesday, February 26

Even the Cows are Thirsty! Scripture: Isaiah 43:19

I carry my water bottle with me all the time. Literally, it’s been around the world and is a constant reminder of the amazing gift of life that water is. It’s also a reminder that this gift has not been given so generously to all. Two years ago, I spent several days in Swaziland. In almost every conversation, there was reference to drought. With no rain for weeks, rivers and wells ran dry; land was parched and trees were dying. People worried and prayed for rain continuously.

The day I left, rain came. Droplets fell fast and hard. Lightning and thunder rumbled through the mountain ranges. While driving, we passed 2 cows lying dead on the roadside. Months before, the government had advised people to slaughter their cattle because the drought was inevitable. How can you slaughter what you hold precious and your food for months to come?

Never will I be comfortable with what I viewed from my car, my car with a full tank of gas, water bottle and bag of snacks. I will never get used to the fact that we live in a world that is parched, where people do not have water, food or a sense of security.

Driving further down the road, the rain slowed, and cows rushed to the edge of the road to drink from the small rain puddles. Biblical stories about water and hope flooded my mind, that God provided puddles for cows to drink, and provides a way through the parched desert with constant hope in times of trial.

Prayer: Lord, may our Lenten journey guide us with steadfast hope to the Living Water. Amen.

Dawn Barnes | Indianapolis, IN

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Thursday, February 27

Where You Least Expect It Scripture: Matthew 5:4

I think most of us would not expect to find the Living Water of our Lord, Jesus Christ at funerals. As I reflect back on this year, just a day after presiding for the eighth time over a Celebration of Life and Resurrection, I am certain that Christ, the Living Water, is in the midst of the bleakest of times.

In June, I remember a funeral that I presided over where the Spirit was palpable among more than a hundred mourners who gathered that day. I knew the deceased was a kind, gentle person with a quick smile and always friendly tone as she delivered her wisdom to any that might care to listen. I hoped one or two people would be willing to step up and give a warm testimony to her life.

I was pleasantly surprised as a queue of people began to line up to speak, and they kept coming. At five, I thought this was most remarkable. At ten, I was concerned that soon people would become restless as the service was now past the one hour mark. They kept coming. A total of seventeen people came forward to give witness to the blessing of this life upon their own lives.

Prayer: Lord, we give you thanks for your presence in the Spirit, even in our darkest moments of grief. You have promised to comfort those who mourn, and you have indeed comforted us. Amen.

Andy Brock | Winchester, VA

Friday, February 28

A Spring of Water Scripture: John 4:14

Our families, congregations, and communities all know a few things about parched land. Metaphorically speaking, we could include under-employment, high medical costs, broken promises, under-funded ministries, overwhelming needs…the list seems unending.

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While our human efforts to address these earthly concerns fall short, Jesus promises Living Water to the Samaritan woman at the well, and to us. We all yearn for something more than the world has to offer; we thirst for the spring of water.

I confess that I have missed scores of opportunities to point people to Christ’s Living Water. Did I not believe that the God of creation was capable of carving a path where there was none or capable of reviving what seemed lifeless?

Maybe it is the confidence born of seeing God’s faithfulness, but I finally am becoming bolder in using words such as Jesus, bless, and hope with the people I meet. Maybe the Holy Spirit finally can trust me with the hearts of weary souls because I know it’s not my wisdom or wit that generates springs of water or quenches deep thirst. It is the transforming love of the Son of God, Jesus the Christ, our Savior.

Prayer: God of salvation, thank you for sending your Son to earth to show us your abundant mercy. Help us as we wander in the desert of sin and brokenness to recognize the gift you wish to give to us. Grant us a glimpse of your kingdom as we turn to the cross. Help us share your Living Water. Amen.

Katy Yates Brungraber | Chambersburg, PA

Saturday, February 29

There’s a Fountain Free*Scripture: Revelation 21:5-7

Do you have a pet who needs loving care and attention? My wife is diligent about pouring fresh water into the bowl for our cat, Miranda, every day. Miranda carefully jiggles the bowl with her paw to stir up the water, healthy, fresh and clean.

Water from the faucet will not do because of the sulfur taste and smell in our well water that came with a new housing development nearby. Bottled water has become a necessity for us and the cat. Having grown up in Memphis with its famed artesian well water, I never thought that I would buy bottled water. Belatedly, I have come to realize that clean healthy water is not a given in most of our world.

The Best Food to Those Who Need it MostSociety of St. Andrew began in 1979 in the hills of Virginia and has grown into the largest field gleaning organization in the country. Working in a collaborative effort with thousands of farmers, tens of thousands

2018 STATISTICS

Pounds Saved: 23,139,224Events Held: 6,336 Volunteers: 30,684

2.55 billion servings sharedin our 40 year history

9¢ a pound

Average cost per serving 3¢

Overhead: 4%

Gleaning America’s FieldsFeeding America’s Hungry

of volunteers, and thousands of feeding programs in all 48 contiguous states, SoSA provides healthy food to those who have little or no access to it.

This nutritious, but excess, bounty is sent directly from the point of surplus (field or packing facility) to food banks or feeding programs that will share it directly with people in greatest need. The Society of St. Andrew’s remarkable and efficient programs have proven extremely successful at providing nutritious food to those who need it most.

Your gifts make this possible!

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Today, I went to the store to buy more water and considered the multitude of brands. Some claim to be from mountain streams and others merely purified. I was especially struck by one with the name Eternal. I didn’t expect such bold theological claims in a grocery store!

During this Lenten season let us remember the role of water throughout scripture from Genesis to Revelation and give thanks for our baptism into Christ’s death and resurrection. The Fountain of the Waters of Life without price is God’s gift to his faithful children!

Prayer: Father, we thirst for your love. May we find streams of mercy, never ceasing, at your throne of grace. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

*Mary B. C. Slade, 1876, Hymn Lyrics

Bill Nash Wade | Strasburg, VA

Sunday, March 1

Birds of a Feather?Scripture: John 7: 37-38

My husband and I love to care for and watch our backyard birds. We’ve placed feeders filled with various seed, suet cages, and hummingbird nectar all around our yard. We even have two birdbaths attached to the railing of our deck. These have given us close up views of some of our little friends as they come to drink and bathe.

One hot morning as I was preparing to go onto the deck to rinse and fill the birdbaths, I noticed a young squirrel had climbed up and was thirstily gulping water. Oh no, I thought, now those pesky squirrels have found out where the water is, we’ll never get rid of them! And then it hit me— the squirrels needed water as much as the birds did.

Sometimes we may feel hesitant to share our faith with those who seem different from us. A foreign accent, a different skin tone, a different political

John 7:37 On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me,


affiliation, all of these and more may stop us. But as Jesus said in John 7:37, “If anyone is thirsty let him come to me and drink.” It is not for us to choose who receives the life giving water. Our job is to love and share the good news.

Prayer: Dear God, thank you for sharing your life giving spirit with me. Please help me not to judge, but to have the courage to spread the news of your love and saving grace to all I meet. Amen.

Regina K. Carson | Chesterfield, VA

Monday, March 2

Greener GrassScripture: Psalm 23:1-3

It was 2012. I had been married less than a year. I wasn’t satisfied with what I had and wanted more. I was never satisfied with where we were, what we had, or what we were doing. I always wanted something more. This thirst for “more” created constant conflict with my wife since she could tell I was never satisfied with our life together.

I attempted to quench my thirst with things of this world, and they always left me wanting more. I ended up in a spiritual and relational desert. My marriage was dry and struggling. My “bucket” was empty and dry. I wasn’t drinking from the right source, and I had nothing to give. This caused the buckets of my wife, and our marriage, to be empty as well.

Then I saw someone I love go through a divorce. God revealed how earthly pursuits had left their marriage dry and broken. Then, I realized what could happen to us. I hit my knees and asked God to fill my bucket with enough to fill my wife’s bucket as well. He did with abundance!

Now, I regularly drink from the spring of Living Water. He fills me up, and it overflows into my marriage. He gave us renewal, eight incredible years of marriage and many more to go!

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Prayer: Father, like sheep, we often wander astray. Forgive us of our foolishness and remind us today that the grass is greenest where you water it. Amen.

Andy Lemmon | Brandon, Mississippi

Tuesday, March 3

Living Water – A Free GiftScripture: Revelation 21:6

In Revelation, John writes these words of Jesus, “I am the Alpha and Omega …. all who are thirsty will be given the Living Water of life to drink.”

I know of this thirst and have experienced this Living Water. As a young mother with a toddler and a baby, I was part of a small group of mothers at my church. We were thankful for a time of fellowship and the free child care that was provided.

In our several years together, I came to know Jesus in a more personal way. I found the God of the universe to be a loving God, sending his Son to earth to show me how to love others and understand that I was worthy of his love. I felt Jesus’s forgiveness and was filled with a renewed peace. I knew that Jesus would always be with me and with my family – until the end of time. We named our group Omega because it fit.

Years have passed, and my children are grown. My thirst to know God continues. My experiences in this little group began to equip me to face the uncertainties of the world and a desire to teach and tell others of this Living Water.

Prayer: God of the universe, thank you for your saving Living Water, a free gift of your love and grace. I know this gift will last until the end of time, and for that, I am grateful. Amen.

Deb Broadwater | Moneta, VA


Wednesday, March 4

A Different Kind of BaptismScripture: Titus 3:4-5

During my junior year, I studied abroad in St. Andrews, Scotland, a delightful town right on the North Sea. Early on, my friend Jocelyn and I found ourselves wanting to settle into a routine. On our first Sunday morning, we suited up and began the mile-long walk to church in frigid January air. Scotland is a rainy place, so we thought nothing of it when we walked outside to find a storm. We felt prepared with our umbrellas and rain jackets. We were going to church come hell, or perhaps more likely, high water.

Scotland is rainy, but that morning was different. Our umbrellas flipped inside out ten times because of the wind and soon became entirely useless against the heavy rain. Eventually, we noticed we hadn’t seen anybody else out for a morning stroll. Nonetheless, we carried on! Upon arrival, we discovered a sign on the door informing us that the church’s meeting had been moved to the afternoon. I don’t remember if we laughed or cried, but I do remember that I was so drenched that I looked like I had jumped into a swimming pool!

It was baptism by torrential downpour. Grace came in the form of laughing at our misfortune, receiving the kindness of a fellow misinformed churchgoer who drove us home, calling it quits, slipping back into our pajamas and promising to try again next week.

Prayer: Loving God, your kindness washes over us in all kinds of ways; please open our eyes to receive your gifts in their many forms. Amen.

Kelsey Miller | Nashville, TN

Thursday, March 5

A Dry SpellScripture: John 4:13-14

What a beautiful sunrise! Leftover droplets sparkle like diamonds promising a welcome respite from the dreary days and days of rain. Smiles are contagious on days like this, and the world is a happy place.

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On the contrary, days and days with no rain soon becomes a dry spell which is neither beautiful nor welcome. A dry spell can refer to weather, work, creativity or relationships, among other things, and lasts until a much needed watering occurs. We can wait and hope for the rain, or we can ask God to help us cope with and get through our situation. We do have a choice!

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for always providing the Living Water that we need to moisturize and soothe our dry spells. Amen.

Carolyn P. Maness | Lynchburg, VA

Friday, March 6

Well of SharingScripture: John 7:38

I have often been accused of being addicted to computer games. I can understand the accusation, as I do have a strong fondness for them. They challenge my mind and present endless puzzles to solve. Anytime you see me sitting idle, I will have my cell phone in my hand working a puzzle or coloring a picture. I have even demonstrated how my coloring on my phone can significantly reduce my blood pressure.

I recently took three days off from the world. I took time off from my job and my family to travel to a respected place to be with 150 other women on retreat. This was a time of prayer, of laughter, of singing, of sharing meals and swapping stories. During that time, I found little need to search for and play a bunch of games or solve puzzles. I had the mystery of life in front of me which is infinitely more stimulating. As I drank from the well of sharing our stories, I knew that I was drinking from Living Water.

Prayer: Holy and Gracious Water Giver, in this time of fasting and reflection, remind me that doing without is only a portal into something bigger and better. As I look forward to Easter, showing me ways to let go of some of my worldly feasts that I may invest my energies in your service. Amen.

Susan Keith | Rutherfordton, NC

Saturday, March 7

Lost and FoundScripture: Isaiah 43:19

Our world is just too heavy to carry around sometimes. Separated families at our southern border, troubling global issues and family trauma erode my sense of well-being, leaving me barren and dry. I lamented to my husband that I had lost my sense of joy and couldn’t find my way out of the despair that I felt.

Grudgingly, I dragged myself, grumbling the whole way, to a destination family reunion off the coast of British Columbia where the mere sight of the ocean cut through my despair and the words ‘I’ve found my joy’ tumbled from my lips. The Spirit welled up in me as I drew in deep breaths of salty air. The majesty of the water, rocky cliffs and soaring eagles spoke clearly, reminding me that I believe in the Living Water of Christ’s power over despair. I soaked the magnificence in as if I had been dying of thirst, and I was.

Prayer: God, thank you for your steadfast love! Thank you for embracing us exactly where we are and reminding us that all who believe in you have access to flowing rivers of endurance and strength in our deserts of despair. Amen.

Deborah Moseley | Indianapolis, IN

Sunday, March 8

Water, Water EverywhereScripture: Psalm 23:2-3

On the Mississippi Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina, there was water everywhere, but none deemed safe to drink. We often take the availability of safe drinking water for granted. When that availability is interrupted, it becomes a priority of survival to seek out distribution points for water shipped here to then be rationed to us. As our physical survival instincts take control, the need for

Preventing Waste, Feeding Hungry PeopleWith your help, the Society of St. Andrew (SoSA) addresses this crucial issue in two ways. In each, SoSA gathers up food that would otherwise be wasted. This fresh and nutritious food is then provided, at no cost, to food banks, pantries, and programs that feed or provide food to those most in need:

In the fields – SoSA mobilizes more than 30,000 volunteers each year to glean fields and orchards for remaining fruits and vegetables. Volunteers from all faith groups, civic organizations, schools, and universities gather food remaining after the harvest. In 2018, the Gleaning Network collected more than 16 million pounds.

At the packing houses – food that is surplus, inconveniently- sized, or cosmetically imperfect, is transported by SoSA to agencies that feed the hungry. Otherwise, this food would likely have been dumped in landfills as waste. The Potato & Produce Project rescued almost 7 million pounds of this food in 2018.

gleaning america’s fields ~ feeding america’s hungry

Society of St. Andrew



Harvest of Hope

Life-Changing Work/Study Mission Retreats Accepting groups for 2020 Sign up today: EndHunger.org/hoh

both physical water and spiritual water become more apparent to us.

Sure, a bottle of water in the miserably hot and humid post-Katrina recovery effort gave temporary relief needed to continue on, but more importantly, we experienced the restoration of the mind, body, and spirit gained from the love shared by the many brothers and sisters in Christ who used both their God given talents and spiritual gifts to bring us that Living Water of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

In the 23rd Psalm we read, “…He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul.”

As many fellow Christians came to help, they shared the calm of the ‘still waters’ through their love, a love that helped restore my soul and the minds, bodies, and souls of the many left suffering after the storm.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for being the Living Water we need to quench our spiritual thirst in both the good times and the bad times. We pray this in your precious name. Amen.

Denny Engle | Gautier, MS

Monday, March 9

Refresh My SoulScripture: Hosea 6:3

It’s been a good day, but I’m finding it hard to praise the Lord. Why is this? I should long to praise him, and if it is hard on the good days, what about the really tough ones? I need to press on to know the Lord more and more. He is

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faithful and will come to us just as the showers refresh the earth. Sometimes the drought seems too extreme to conquer, but God can do it. My fleshly feelings don’t need to dictate if I am close to the Lord. I need to worship Him in spirit and in truth. Through his Holy Spirit that is living and active in me, I can truly, wholeheartedly worship him. I need the Lord to send those spring rains that refresh my soul and cause me to exude praise for Him for what He has done.

Prayer: Lord, help me to press on and press into your amazing love and truth even on the days when I am not feeling close to you. Help me to bask in your goodness, trust in your provision, and take comfort in your ways. It will be a new way, but I just need open eyes to perceive it and a willing heart to experience it. Amen.

Amy Williams | Skopje, Macedonia

Tuesday, March 10

Streams of Living WatersScripture: Revelation 7:17

Florida may be known as the Sunshine State surrounded by water, but throughout the state, there are swamps with standing, stagnant water! A fresh moving stream, a river or a lake are welcome sights. So it is in our lives. During some phase of our lives, we may feel like we are living in a swamp.

Several years back, I felt like I was living in a swamp. In April that year, my sister passed away the evening after I had spoken to her over the telephone. She lived in Milwaukee, and I was not able to be with the family because I was caring for my sick wife. The following year in October, my mother-in-law passed away in New Mexico. Again I was not able to be with the family due to my obligations at home. A month later our daughter passed away in Georgia. Again, I was not able to be with the family due to caring for my sick wife. A year later my dear wife of 59 years passed away.

Had it not been for Christian friends, my church family, and my faith in God, I would have felt alone and sinking in a swamp. Instead, I


was surrounded by streams of Living Waters. I was refreshed, encouraged and strengthened knowing that God through Jesus Christ was with me, sustaining me, refreshing me as I was led into streams of Living Waters.

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for being the provider of all streams of Living Waters through your son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Sam Ramirez | Lakeland, FL

Wednesday, March 11

Relationship not ReligionScripture: John 4:7-15

After twenty-two years of marriage spent as a corporate wife and stay-at-home-mom, I found myself divorced with no finances except child support and twenty-two year old job skills. In my depression, God made two things very clear to me.

First, He would take care of my children and me. Second, I was to enroll in college as a full-time student and become a teacher. If I did the work, he would provide the tuition and funding necessary. My family and friends said what I really needed was not four difficult years of study and sacrifice but a few courses to prepare me for an immediate job and an income.

As a Christian, I realized during this stressful time that what I had was religion and not a relationship. I needed a renewal and a personal relationship with God meaning that I would trust him completely and have faith in his guidance. Like the Samaritan woman at the well, I was offered Living Water, and like her, I gratefully accepted this gift.

Prayer: Dear God, thank you for your offer of Living Water and a richer and more fulfilling life with you at the center. Amen.

Carolyn Lee Purdy | Harrisonburg, VA

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Thursday, March 12

Simply Stated Scripture: John 4:13-15

Recently, I was on a mountain retreat. Like other retreats, the time had come to leave that idyllic setting and ‘spiritual high’ to return to the dry-faith spells that were sure to follow. Afterwards, one image stayed with me, a rock garden focal point with a stream flowing through it.

The rocks were gray plastic bags; the stream was draped blue fabric dotted by twinkling white lights. Yet, they served to remind me that I live between the Garden of Eden and the promised River of Life described in Revelation 22. Impressive, but that wasn’t all. Behind the rocks and stream was a very large wooden cross. Seeing it, I remembered that Christ Jesus is with me every moment regardless of what any day brings.

God, through Isaiah proclaimed, “I am about to do a new thing . . . do you not perceive it?” Jesus, in his conversation with the Samaritan woman, assured her that through him she can have water that will quench her thirst into eternal life. The Living Water of Christ Jesus is the ‘new thing’ God was and is doing.

If God can use plastic bags, fabric and a simple wooden cross to speak to me, then surely God isn’t limited to retreats to renew us whether we are on the mountain, down in the valley or somewhere in-between.

Prayer: Holy One, help us to seek and to find the Living Water of Christ wherever we may be. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Chris Suerdieck | Emmitsburg, MD

Friday, March 13

Room for Living WaterScripture: Jeremiah 2:13

I had a seminary student who resisted learning about the course topic. The course objective was to explore human sexual identities, so that the students would truly be able to minister to all of God’s children. I did everything I knew to try to connect and provide a pathway for the student to benefit from the course. No response. What was in that earthen vessel?


As the course concluded that student wrote that I was going straight to hell, without that student having done the work for the class, participating in the course sessions, or meeting with me to discuss concerns. I expressed my regret that the student had not experienced a successful outcome and suggested that the student discuss concerns with the dean.

I was sad that the water that might have helped the student prepare and wrestle with understandings and readiness to help parishioners in their sexual lives found no place in that vessel.

Years later at the end of a chapel service, that student came, embraced me, and apologized for prior behaviors. Later, the student took another course with me, exhibiting the truth that the earthen vessel was newly ready for Living Water that the student had had no place for before. Had seminary opened up room for Living Waters?

Prayer: Lord, empty each of us of anything that hinders your Living Water from filling our earthen vessels. Amen.

Youtha Hardman-Cromwell | Washington, D.C.

Saturday, March 14

Forever New!Scripture: Philippians 3:20-21

Although I am blessed with many new wonders of contemporary medicine that were science fiction when I was a boy, I am struck by the fact that human nature has not basically changed since biblical times. In our daily lives, even as Christians, we still struggle with our old sinful brokenness and alienation from God and each other. As we prepare to celebrate Easter, we must remember that in fact God has indeed done an astounding NEW THING in the resurrection of our Lord Jesus which is Good News for the present and the future.

Recently taking my “adopted” grandson, Trey, out to lunch, I was amazed at his boundless energy as he bounced from seat to seat, all the while gulping down his food. Suddenly, I realized that I was tired just looking at him. Having survived open heart surgery, I know that my body will never equal his in this world.

Thankfully, I look forward to Christ’s ultimate victory when He will make all things new. My lowly body will be changed to be like His glorious body as St.

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Paul promised. Yes! In the New Jerusalem, I will be changed from old Reverend Bill to new Bouncing Billy as I leap for joy in God’s forever new life.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, when we are tired and feel old, even worn out, renew us to serve you. Help us to trust your promise of new life, which we will know even more fully in your eternal kingdom. Amen.

William Nash Wade | Strasburg, VA

Sunday, March 15

Where is Our Oasis?Scripture: John 4:10-15

In the early 70s, I found myself far from home in my first year of college at Duke University. I marveled at the beauty of the campus and relished staying up all night playing cards, listening to music and enjoying life with few rules or restrictions. There were parties, fun athletic events, classes, homework and stimulating intellectual challenges.

However, over the course of several months I began to feel profoundly lonely. I was not fitting in with my roommates and their lifestyle and found it difficult to find my niche. I was in a beautiful setting, surrounded by diverse fellow students, yet thirsty for connection and meaningfulness.

One fall Sunday, feeling emotionally down and spiritually adrift, I attended worship services at the Chapel. I had visited before but neglected to make it part of my college experience. I suppose not going was a bit of rebellion. Now, in keeping with my new found freedom, I was choosing to go and searching for an oasis.

As the service began, I felt my neck tingle as the magnificent choir processed in, bringing forth the cross, the light of Christ and a familiar hymn echoing with a thousand


voices joining as one. I don’t recall the sermon, but I do remember feeling safe in Christ’s arms, unconditionally loved, and no longer alone. Christ’s Living Water quenched my thirst and renewed my weary soul.

Prayer: Thank you, Lord for reminding us to seek your Living Water when we find ourselves in the desert places of our lives. Amen.

Bob Brooks | Fredericksburg, VA

Monday, March 16

Molecular TheologyScripture: Revelation 22:2

Many biblical writers used the phrase “Living Waters” to describe Yahweh’s sustaining presence for creation and the life of the people. That literary model spans even to Revelation where the tree with leaves for the healing of the nations is planted by the river of life. Their phrase holds true even when we look at water at its molecular level.

Most children learn at some point in their school science class that the chemical formula of water is H2O where two atoms of hydrogen bond with one oxygen atom. Pure hydrogen fuels rockets. Its combination with chloride and fluoride creates acids that can burn skin. Combustion cannot occur without oxygen and breathing pure oxygen for long durations can be toxic at certain pressures. Nevertheless, these elements combined with carbon, nitrogen, calcium and phosphorus form nearly every biomolecule on the planet. These elements make not only water but also sugars, proteins, fats, and nucleic acids that compose 99% of each living cell.

Lent is the time where we examine the elements that compose our being. Our traits, habits, and talents can appear caustic and debilitating when isolated. Allowing one part of our self to override our relationships can indeed prove as explosive as pure hydrogen and oxygen. When we let the Creator fuse all our elements into wholeness, our lives gush with Living Water.

Prayer: O God, who ordered the elements to form stars and my own body, transform the seemingly explosive elements of my life into the molecules of Living Water that your joy may be complete in me. Amen.

Adam Graham | Atlanta, GA


Tuesday, March 17

My Hero - My MotherScripture: John 7:37-39

It took me years to realize that I am who I am because of my mother. Though I will never hold a candle to her, she is the voice in my head and in my heart. When I find myself in trouble, I wonder - what would she do? I rarely call to share my predicaments, as I know she would never get into the position in which I found myself. Whenever I have been in deep despair, I am lifted up and renewed by her faith, determination and love of life. She helps me see that nothing is insurmountable – there is always hope and a way to get through it.

My childhood memories are warm and loving with the sound of her singing hymns throughout the house. She defines the phrase ‘bloom where you are planted’ and quickly turned each place we moved into our home. I believe her priority was to make sure her family was safe and happy.

To this day, she constantly changes and improves her surroundings, encouraging things to grow; outsmarting garden invaders. Any request from her family, church or community is quickly met. She is indefatigable and lives life to the fullest every single day. If I had a tenth of her spirit, I would consider myself blessed.

Prayer: Dear Lord, help us learn from the many lessons given us every day from those we love and who love us. Help us to be renewed by the Living Water poured out for us from each other. Amen.

Kathi Wise | McLean, VA


Wednesday, March 18

Mystifying Moments of Some MagnitudeScripture: Isaiah 43:19

In a foreign country, how do you cope with day to day living…how to eat, travel, act, and most of all, be messengers of God’s love in a ‘wilderness’ when you stand out like a sore thumb? God provided in abundance when Nancy and I moved to Sierra Leone as UMC missionaries. God sent us a devout Muslim, Musa, to help with the maintenance of our oversized home.

Our daily custom was to have devotions, study the scriptures and pray. No pressure for Musa to renounce Islam, no disrespect for his long-held beliefs, only a daily time was set aside for a devotional time together. On his own accord, Musa went with us to church every Sunday, and his Muslim faith was solid, so we thought.

During one fateful Sunday morning worship service, Musa stood up and announced “I am Musa Sundai. I am a Muslim, but I want to become a Christian and know more about Jesus Christ!” Muslim Musa became a Christian!

How did all this happen? We were not forcing him to change; yet God was acting through us, and we didn’t know it. Living Waters flowed through what we thought was wilderness. Funny how God works sometimes.

Prayer: Papa God, thank you for the Living Waters of our lives in places and ways that we don’t even know. Use us in the way that makes a wilderness fruitful and in all the ways that build up your kingdom. Amen.

Kip Robinson | Henrico County, VA

Thursday, March 19

Wellspring of LifeScripture: John 4:10-13 & Revelation 7:17

I was fortunate to grow up at time and in an area where regular youth revivals and retreats were held. I have fond memories of these events. Some were very emotional, but all the events led me to stop and question how I should lead my life, and what I should do with it. As I grew into adulthood, there were occasional church services and retreats that provided time to step back from the world and be renewed. However, these seemed to get fewer and fewer.

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Several years ago, I was able to attend a retreat that turned out to be special for me. I can remember thinking and feeling that the retreat community interacted, supported, and loved each other much like I imagined heaven to be. There was time to interact as a whole, in small groups, and for individual reflection. The highlight for me was the communion service. Two clowns led the service without saying a word. However, the message was very clear. It concluded with the opportunity to step forward and drive a nail into the cross as a symbol of laying my burdens at the foot of the cross. Just the memory of that weekend can renew my spirit.

While we work for God, we still need rest from ‘doing’ and time just ‘being’ with Christ.

Prayer: Ever loving God, please help me to find time to stop and just spend time with you. Renew my spirit and help me do and say the things that please you. Amen.

Alvin Jenkins | Lenoir City, TN

Friday, March 20

Waterfalls of Living Water Scripture: John 7:38

I’ve always enjoyed looking at waterfalls. Feelings of awe and wonder especially accompany gazing at tall, majestic cascades flowing down into a stream or brook below, whether watching these great parts of nature on a movie or television show, looking at pictures in a book, or when having the opportunity to witness them in person.

One particular summer while cationing with my family in Rocky Mountain National Park, I had an extraordinary experience while viewing one of my

favorite waterfalls there. As I sat on a nearby boulder, I watched the water thunder down the side of the bluff into an awaiting stream. I envisioned the mighty healing powers of Jesus within the roaring water. Then, I looked

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at the stream below as the water calmed and peacefully continued its journey through the park. A feeling of spiritual renewal filtered through me.

I could feel the peace that only Jesus can give to us filling me up once again as I visualized his power flowing down the cascade into the stream. It was a wonderful time of revitalization and rejuvenation. Now, whenever I see a waterfall, I think of the Living Water of Jesus, and the feeling of renewal always comes with it too.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for the beauty and majesty of the world in which we live. Thank you for the renewal that enjoying nature can provide, and most especially for the Living Water of Jesus to regenerate and sustain our souls. Amen.

Julie Erickson | Olathe, Kansas

Saturday, March 21

From Flat to FullScripture: Psalm 103: 1-6

I was drained this past summer. Having given so much of myself to others out of obligation, my personal well was dry. I realized that I needed nourishment and attended a women’s spiritual retreat.

Arriving Friday afternoon, I felt uneasy. One of my friends noticed my flat expression over dinner. I told her I vowed to be “in the moment” at the retreat yet doubted my ability. Realizing that I was surrounded by 16 godly women, the tension drifted. I felt my body and spirit lighten over the next two days. Tears were shed; true feelings were shared. After each song and testimony, I sensed the Living Water filling me up.

To cap off the retreat, we had a baptism. As a sister in Christ confessed her sins and immersed in a blow-up pool, we all watched with wonder. At the end, the woman slipped! The memory of her dressed in a white robe, hands together in prayer, sitting in the pool-soaking wet, and smiling with pure joy will be etched into my memory for years to come!

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We often believe spiritual renewal happens when we experience a single extraordinary event. Yet, don’t we need to be fed consistently? This Lenten season take the opportunity to drink the Living Water multiple times every day through the experience of amazing, God-led encounters.

Prayer: Everlasting God, make us aware of your presence each day. Fill us with your love so we can share it with others. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

Kelly Desclos-Estes | South Boston, VA

Sunday, March 22

Oh, This is Bad… Scripture: Hebrews 10:22 and James 5:13-16

My daughter-in-law called…my son had bacterial meningitis. With my heart in my throat and a fear so intense it brought me to my knees, I realized…I could lose my son!

My first instinct was to rush to the hospital, be there with him, just do something, and make it “all better”. His wife and children were sent to a children’s hospital under quarantine. He was all alone…but a voice inside of me was insisting that I wait.

How as a mother could I “wait” five hours away, knowing my son had been moved from the intensive care unit to the critical care unit in just a few short hours? We were preparing for the worst… he could die! Yet the Holy Spirit still told me to wait, and I obeyed.

Hebrews 10:22 let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our

bodies washed with pure water.

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As I waited, I was not idle…I prayed! I called family, friends, co-workers, and sent emails to prayer partners. I had everyone I knew, and thousands I didn’t know, praying. As quickly as the meningitis was consuming my son, the power of prayer began washing over him, healing his body.

Just like that tiny organism weakened my son, sin that has gained access to our hearts can separate us from the presence of God and destroy our lives. If we ask, and believe in the power of prayer, our heavenly Father will cleanse our soul and renew us with the Living Water.

Prayer: Father, as we enter the season of preparing for the sacrifice of Your Son, help us to remain obedient in our thoughts, actions and prayers, just as Jesus was obedient to your will when he died a horrible death on the cross for us. In Your name I pray.

Barbara Lipford | Bedford, VA

Monday, March 23

RiptidesScripture: Isaiah 43:2

As a kid, I played a game with my friends at the pool. We would all take a big breath of air and then plunge underwater, trying to see who could hold their breath the longest. I remember fighting to keep my head below the surface for just one more second, ignoring my lungs that were screaming for oxygen and striving to outlast my competitors. The game was fun because I knew I could kick my legs and come up gasping for air within seconds.

A pool is very different from a river or an ocean. I have another childhood memory of being knocked over by a wave at the beach. Instantly, I felt myself tossed by the strong current, air knocked out of my lungs, flailing, unsure which way would lead me toward the surface. Until I felt my mother’s arm, pulling me out of the churning sea.

Prayer: God who is with us in both still and turbulent waters, make your presence known in times when we find ourselves gasping for air, unsure of where to find safety in a world that feels as chaotic as a riptide. When waters are calm give us the courage to seek you in farther depths knowing that the security of your presence is never far away. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Abi Warmack | Durham, NC

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Tuesday, March 24

Behind MeScripture: Isaiah 43:18-19

I seem like a nice guy. I go to church, volunteer, tithe, read my bible, and treat my wife with respect. On the outside, I check all the boxes for a good, Christian guy; but on the inside, I never let go of my past mistakes, some I considered unforgiveable.

For the past three years, I have been surrounded by Christian coworkers who occasionally say, “Andy, you’re such a nice guy. I could never see you doing something like that!” Each time they say it, I chuckle, but inside I think ‘if only you knew the real me.’ Then, in a conversation about this scripture, God spoke to me. “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?”

God’s words opened my eyes to the truth. He had been speaking to me for years through my friends and coworkers. It wasn’t their words that I was doubting; I was doubting God’s words. I let doubt weigh me down, but I needed to accept my identity in Christ. In one verse, God’s words renewed my heart and reminded me that I am a new person in Christ.

Recently, I was baptized to declare this truth over my life. My sins are not me; my sins are behind me. I am not defined by my past but made new in Christ.

Prayer: Merciful Father, I thank you for your unconditional love and forgiveness. Amen.

Andy Lemmon | Brandon, MS


Wednesday, March 25

The Power of WaterScripture: Isaiah 44:3

Water is central to life, and we can always remember good times and bad times that involve water. I had just moved to Glasgow, Virginia in 1969 when the two rivers that met near that town, the Maury and the James, overflowed causing devastating flooding. Many homes and businesses were underwater. People call it the 100-year flood.

This water disaster brought people together though. Neighbors who barely waved at each other were banding together to find places to sleep and food to

eat. Everybody needed the same things. Jesus said to ‘love your neighbor as yourself ’ and there were many examples of this being played out. Gifts of food, clothing and furniture came pouring in and many needs were met.

Water is also the symbol of joy when we

are baptized. Joy in becoming a member of the family of God. I was baptized when I was 12, an amazing experience! Now, when I witness a baptism, I visualize the Holy Spirit descending like a dove and filling the hearts of those being baptized. Living Water is a gift from God that quenches thirst and sustains lives on this earth, and through baptism, it is the promise of becoming a part of God’s new creation.

Prayer: Thank you, God, for the Living Water that reminds us that we have a living, loving God, who is always providing for our every need. Amen.

Doris Hedrick | Natural Bridge, VA

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Thursday, March 26

Baptized with Living WaterScripture: John 7:37-38

A social worker at the hospice where we worked asked me to visit with a patient who was struggling spiritually. Upon arrival at the patient’s home, I was met at the door by his spouse who greeted me with trepidation. I found the patient lying on the couch weakly smiling when I introduced myself as a pastor.

The patient shared with me that he had recently given his life to Christ, and he desired to be baptized. Another pastor who had recently visited him told him that doing so wasn’t necessary. I asked him if being baptized would bring him peace, and he answered ‘yes’ further conveying, that by doing so, his commitment to Christ would be complete.

I felt prompted by the Holy Spirit to baptize the patient immediately. After praying thanksgiving over the water held in the glass pitcher and with his wife and son serving as witnesses, I baptized him at the kitchen sink in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen! During our next visit, I presented him with his baptismal certificate which he tearfully accepted.

Prayer: Lord thank you for being the Living Water that quenches our every thirst, brings us peace and makes us whole. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Tracy Porter | Pasadena, California

Friday, March 27

Gratitude is Living Water Scripture: Hebrews 13:2

After years of distributing church funds to those in need and managing area ministerial group funds for the same purpose, there have been more than a few times when my compassion quotient has hovered on empty. Though I have never even hinted at the need for repayment of assistance, you can only be told so many times, “I’ll pay you back as soon as next week’s check comes in” – never to see the person again – before frustration begins to threaten. Hearing the exact same family tragedy explained 3 months later because someone has forgotten which church they last came to for help, lays the foundation for apathy to reign.


Living Water has come to me in the occasional ‘thank you’ note slipped under my office door, in the one in 200+ envelopes that has a few dollars in it for the assistance fund and the crayon drawing showing a smiling child who is happy their daddy made it home after the car broke down in our little town.

I am eternally grateful that God has never reached a point of frustrated apathy in answering my needs, and I am blessed that he has sent refreshing reminders of who I am serving when I assist angels unaware.

Prayer: Loving Father, giver of all good things, help me each day to remember that you have blessed me that I might be a blessing to others. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Joe Phipps | Fairfield, IA

Saturday, March 28

I Found It!Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:17

As a teenager, I remember being handed a button to wear by my youth pastor. It simply said, “I found IT!” No one had to explain to me what this meant because I had found what everyone was, ultimately looking for, when I found Jesus. My thirsty soul had tasted of the Living Water. God had done a new thing in my heart and my search for meaning was over. As people asked me what I had found, I was able to share the Living Water with them.

Within every person, there is a God-shaped vacuum that only Jesus can fill. Only He can quench the desire of the spiritually thirsty soul. We try to quench the thirst with all kinds of things this world suggests will satisfy our deepest longings. But, we will come up dry every time; only to find ourselves thirstier still. That is, until we drink of the Living Water that never runs dry!

When God does this new thing and makes us new creatures and the resurrected Savior pierces the darkness and brings life to the dead soul, the search is over. Only Jesus can satisfy the soul. Since I found IT, I find myself unable to keep it to myself. Like having the cure for cancer, how could I not share this Living Water with my world?

Prayer: O, Lord, our thirst is for you. May we never look to anything or anyone else for what only you can give! Amen.

Teresa Pugh | Northport, AL


Sunday, March 29

Pouring Out Feelings Scripture: 1 Peter 5:9-11

One brisk Sunday morning, I entered church feeling unsettled. Holidays have a different view through the lens of grief. I looked down the row of pews and saw a parishioner, whose mother died 6 months before, sitting alone. I asked how she was. She hid a tear, smiled, and then greeted another person. While they hugged, I grabbed my purse and sat next to her. It has been years since my son died, yet memories of ‘firsts’ without him remain clear.

During the first hymn, she squeezed my hand. As the pastor prayed that we comfort and support one another, I felt a pat on my shoulder. After the service, she thanked me for keeping her company. When I offered time to talk, she responded “Oh, you are too busy.” As quickly as I dismissed her opinion, she agreed to contact me.

I left church that afternoon marveling at God’s presence in everyday life. Without realizing it, God allowed me to use my grief to support someone else. Although she initially downplayed the importance of her feelings, this woman recognized the necessity of filling one another up with the life-giving Spirit of a living, loving God.

Prayer: God of all grace, allow each of us to offer your Living Water to someone in need. May this gift restore life and strengthen those living with grief from the inside out. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Kelly Desclos-Estes | South Boston, VA


Monday, March 30

The Thirsty SoulScripture: John 4:10

The “Rule of Threes” that an average human can survive; three minutes without air; three hours in extreme cold; possibly three weeks without food; or three days without water.

Our bodies need water to survive, and in this day and age, we have so many choices. Evian, Aquafina, Fiji Water, Propel, Deer Park, Spring Water, Smart Water, Crystal Clear, Culligan, Nestle Pure Life, these are just some of the bottled water brands available around the globe these days. None of these brands are like the water that Jesus was talking about though in his conversation with a woman at a well in Samaria. Encased in plastic, often with chemicals leaching into the water, it is far from fresh or clean, let alone worthy of any comparison to the Living Water that Jesus offers.

We sometimes thirst for what Jesus can offer, and we look for it in artificial places. Just as the water is encased in artificial plastic, we look to our own encasements that do not satisfy.

During this season of Lent, try asking God to quench whatever thirst you have. If you knew and you asked, he has said he will give you Living Water.

Prayer: Ahhh…Lord, your water is so good. Thank you for your life-giving love. Amen.

Diane Zehr | Indianapolis, IN

Tuesday, March 31

Pool of Living Water Scripture: Luke 4:18-19

She had decided. She would take her own life. The act would be Sunday afternoon. Before she acted, she would drop by a church that she had heard about. She came, and the community gathered. We sang, prayed, listened to a good word and reached out to each other.

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Several years later the one who had planned to die came to me and told me her story. The community of people who gathered as church had given her hope. She changed her mind. She did not kill herself. She became a member of the community and later was one of its leaders. She has lived a long life of service to those who were troubled by life. She and her husband continue to participate in a pool of Living Water offering hope to others.

Sometimes it is hard to keep on singing, praying and listening for good words to share in our lives. Sometimes it is hard to keep on gleaning the fields of grace and sharing the food and drink with others, but we never know when someone may be close to ending it all or how important we might be in offering life.

Prayer: God, grant us stamina in living persistently your call to love and share grace with others. Amen.

Dan Moseley | Indianapolis, IN

Wednesday, April 1

The ‘Wilderness’ of WaitingScripture: Isaiah 43:19

The scripture often speaks of things at a great distance of time as if they were now at hand, to make us aware that God’s time is not our time. We are not very good at waiting, but God’s timing brings revelation beyond our imagination.

In 1999, I led thirty church members on a mission trip to a remote area of Peru to “build” a home for orphaned boys. Our work station was nothing more than a plot of grass-covered land. We spent our days making adobe bricks. After 2 weeks, nothing had changed except for the stacks of bricks. It seemed daunting to think it would ever be much more than that.

Luke 4:18-19 18“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free,

19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”


This past summer, I returned to Peru. 20 years later, I did not recognize that same place. Now, it is a community with a school, library, church, and a ton of happy little boys, safe from the horrors of their former street life, because 20 years ago the process began with a brick.

Ending hunger also seems like a daunting task. Jesus said ‘give them something to eat,’ and he would do the rest. My faith is in Him, and I trust that one day, no child will go to bed hungry.

Prayer: Oh God, our human minds cannot imagine the depth of your greatness. Give us patience to wait and faith to trust in your time. Amen.

Barbara Sayles | Orlando, FL

Thursday, April 2

Let Me DrinkScripture: John 7:38

Since I was a little girl, feelings of unworthiness shaped the way I saw things, shaping my thoughts and my actions. There was an underlying current of shame that I claimed as mine, never questioning the validity of the message or my own thoughts. It was many years later, surviving life’s challenges and some poor decisions that clarity allowed me to see myself with new eyes.

Gifted by God’s grace in the people placed in my life, the welcoming outstretched arms of strangers in communities of loving and like-wounded sojourners, I allowed myself to believe. I came to believe in my worth and that I was Christ’s beloved. I reached for the bread of life and drank from the cup of salvation. The current of the waters altered.

Challenges continue and there has been more heartache than I could have imagined, but there is something even more astounding. There has been more joy than I could have asked for or even imagined. Call it grace or mercy, it is a love deeper than I can fathom, opening my heart and my mind. By the constant invitation of the Holy Spirit, I realize I am a part of this divine mystery, and my life is not my own. I am at peace, renewed by Living Water in every moment. All I have to do is drink.

Prayer: O God of all life, fill the desolations of our hearts with your Living Water. Renew our spirits and fill us to overflowing. Amen.

Nancy Severin | Fort Morgan, CO

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Friday, April 3

A Way in the DesertScripture: Isaiah 43:19

When I served overseas, winters were long and hard. It was February of my second winter and snow had been on the ground since mid-October. I was tired. Mostly, I was tired of language lessons and struggling every day to communicate with people.

I wasn’t scheduled to go to a meeting of believers from the group of people that we were seeking to reach, but my team leader recognized my need for some rest and a reset. I went to the meeting with some reluctance because of language. God used that meeting to remind me that HE was working in the lives of people, and I could have a part in seeing many from this unreached group of people come to Christ.

One of the believers had been praying for an opportunity to have a camp for young people but didn’t really know how to go about doing one, and our team was ready to bring Americans to lead English camps in villages and towns in the region.

I struggled with language learning the entire time I was overseas, but God made a way for me in my desert. He allowed me to use my “logistics” language to serve teams of Americans and nationals in three different cities as volunteer coordinator.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for always making a way in the desert for us, for overcoming language barriers with your language of love. Amen.

Jesse Hoyer | Birmingham, AL


Saturday, April 4

Fire and RainScripture: Isaiah 43:1-3

Isaiah 43 tells of God’s promise to restore us and protect us despite the fires and floods in our lives. Sometimes in life, we want to avoid or hurry up and get through the difficult times. We may be frustrated by the way things are and look forward to when things will be different in our families, our community, or our country.

When we are in difficult times, it is hard to see beyond the storm and tempest. Yet God allows us to go through troubled times, troubled waters if you will, in order to get to the peace, promise and renewal on the other side. It is there that he does new things, new things that spring forth. It is there in the wilderness that he renews us.

Just as Christ said in John’s gospel, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink.” Trust in the Lord and allow yourself to be renewed by His Living Waters.

Prayer: Gracious God, we give you thanks for the blessings in our lives. We are especially mindful of those trying times when we can’t see the road ahead. Help us to trust in you to be a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Chad McCain | Lynchburg, VA

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Sunday, April 5

BaptismScripture: Ephesians 4:4-6

I remember being somewhat embarrassed in the midst of our confirmation class that I had not yet been baptized. I was 12 years old and had been an active participant in our United Methodist Church my whole life. My father’s Baptist tradition had won the theological tug-of-war in our family over “when children should be baptized.”

Though I remember longing to have been baptized as an infant and to be able to claim that gift as my own, it was my father’s belief that “children should get to decide for themselves” that placed me at the baptismal font on that Palm Sunday. Two of us were to be baptized before we joined the rest of the class to be confirmed. There, I knelt next to Charlie to have the water sprinkled upon my head and forehead, to hear the words spoken by our pastor, “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

Charlie and I had grown up in church together, but he was not someone I would have chosen to share my baptism. Isn’t that exactly what baptism is though? Sharing life in Christ with those we did not choose but that God chose. It is my enduring image for the church: I didn’t choose him, her, or them…but God did!

Prayer: O God, by the baptismal waters and the power of your Holy Spirit, form us into your body that we may be a faithful witness to the living Christ. Amen.

Kathleen Overby Webster | Roanoke, VA

Monday, April 6

A Hot Shower Scripture: Isaiah 43:19

Much of my life, I have awakened early to get in exercise before heading to school or work. One of my greatest blessings and luxuries is to have the time to take a nice, long, hot shower before facing the rest of the day.

The shower cleans the sweat and dirt off my body as I prepare to get dressed. The shower is most often a place where I can hurry through my routine letting


the water rinse the shampoo out of my hair and the soap off the rest of me. Sometimes, knowing that I am fortunate to have hot water available, I just stand still while the tiny streams project from the showerhead with just the right amount of force to massage my sore neck and back. The shower is also the place where I can freely sing, cry, and pray.

Like the hot water that washes away the residue of sweat and dirt, God cleanses my soul of excess residue and leaves me with what I need to be prepared for my day. He hears me make a joyful noise, and she hears me cry. God is always there to take away my pain, renew my spirit and give me strength for the day.

Prayer: Thank you, God, for the Living Water that cleanses and renews me without ceasing! In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Annemarie E. Kalke Delgado | Beulah, WY

Tuesday, April 7

The Desire of Your HeartPsalm 37:4

We’d been married five years, and life was good. We wanted to start a family. Together, we decided that my husband would work, and I would be a stay-at-home mom.

My husband went to work every day and came home tired. Alone all day, I looked forward to him coming home for some human interaction. As an introvert though, he derived all the mental stimulation he needed from work. As an extrovert, I wanted to talk. We had different, unmet needs that began to put a strain on our relationship.

Months trying to conceive turned into years, still no baby. The stress level continued to rise. Dealing with our stress in different ways further drove a wedge between us. At the end of our ropes, our relationship shattered, and we separated.

Distraught and depressed, I blamed myself. My inability to get pregnant and my focus on worldly things left me feeling empty and unworthy. I sank deeper into a pit of despair. In that pit, Jesus found me, raised me up and gave me Living Water. He told me that he loved me and that I was forgiven.

I started attending church, Bible study and prayer groups. I began seeking a deeper relationship with Jesus. I delighted in the Lord, and as the scripture

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James 1:27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress,

and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

says, he gave me the desire of my heart. My husband and I reconciled and soon became pregnant with our first child. God is good!

Prayer: Father, thank you for your Living Water. May all who thirst find you and be blessed with the desire of their hearts. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Anonymous | Lynchburg, VA

Wednesday, April 8

An Orphan’s Living WaterScripture: James 1:27

The children’s pastor and his wife at a church that I attended adopted a young girl from an orphanage in Kazakhstan. Pastor Craig Jutila promised the leaders at the orphanage that not only would he come back, but he would bring a team that would help show love to the children there. The leaders at the orphanage were skeptical since many other people had made promises to return to the orphanage, but then no one ever did.

However, I was fortunate to be a part of a team of 15 adults and 10 children that traveled from California to Kazakhstan to help provide hope to the kids at this orphanage. We taught Vacation Bible School with the kids and helped build an amazing playground for them. We showed Christ’s love and compassion to the children and leaders in many tangible ways. Every adult and child that went

on this mission trip was renewed by the Living Water. In turn, we helped pass on that Living Water and the hope that we have in Christ to every child and staff member at the orphanage.

*In memory and honor of Pastor Craig Jutila for the legacy that he left behind for children and orphans around the world.

Prayer: Father, please help us to be aware of orphans in our country and around the world that need your hope, love and Living Water. Amen.

Wade Mays | Goode, VA

Thursday, April 9

1,000 Sorrows HealedScripture: John 7:37-39

The concept of Living Water is so abstract, yet with God nothing is impossible. An encounter with Living Water can be an unexpected gift in our faith journey. A few years back, I attended a healing service at our diocesan convention. Entering the auditorium with a heart weighed down by 1,000 sorrows from years of working in human services, I approached a prayer team consisting of a priest couple that I trusted.

Not knowing what to ask for, my words sounded jumbled and confused. However, I recall one priest reassuring me that God knew my sacrifice and was pleased with me. Then they started to pray, and one of them laid their hand on my heart. At that moment, I rested in the Spirit and was vaguely aware of being laid on the floor.

What happened next is hard to describe. There were only glimpses of awareness. Sobbing, silent faces from the past came into view, then faded, more sobbing, then quiet. Looking up, it was as if I was lying in a shallow stream with water slowly flowing by. There were thousands of tiny, sparkling lights and one quiet word, “angels”. No past, no present, no future, there was only calm. I returned to reality slowly, gently with no sense of time or place.

When I finally came to my senses, all heaviness was gone, as if my heart had been scrubbed clean, a complete ‘do over’. An encounter with Living Water changes one’s life forever.

Prayer: Thank you, Jesus, for healing me. Amen.

Tammy Boyd | Broadalbin, NY

Friday, April 10

Living Well Water Isaiah 43:19

What would it be like to be a whole new thing? Life is a puzzle with the challenges and changes of this life. Most of us have some pieces that we would like to leave out. However, that is not part of God’s plan. We are just as God made us, warts and all! We have to believe that God can use us, just as we are.

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We believe that with God, all things are possible. God can make all things new. God can do a new thing!

If we thirst for the Living God, God can quench our thirst with living water. Those of us who feel lost and unlovable can find solace and strength in our Savior, Jesus Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit. Just as our physical bodies cannot survive without water, so our spiritual bodies cannot survive without being quenched by the overwhelming and overpowering love of God.

I serve a small church in a rural area in Virginia. We happen to have a spring flowing freely on the property. We put in a well and many neighbors, who do not have access to good water in their homes, come and fill jugs with our well water. I sit in my office and watch them go by and pray that the water the church is providing will not only be there for them to drink, but that the Spirit will touch their hearts and lives with grace and hope.

Prayer: Lord, give us all a thirst for you! Amen.

Kathleen Price | Williamsburg, VA

Saturday, April 11

Right on TimeScripture: Proverbs 16:9

Some might call me a late bloomer. For example, graduating from college took longer for me than the traditional four years like most of my high school peers. Also, I didn’t marry until my mid-thirties, although was a frequent bridesmaid in my twenties. Instead, I focused on defining success in my chosen profession while setting goals and making them happen. Charting the course to become one of the first female vice-presidents at my company took education, energy and time. Achievement brought promotions, and life was good.

My work ethic played well until our only child was born a month before my 42nd birthday. I found myself longing for more time with my family. Business trips and board rooms lost their appeal. The life I had and the one I desired stood worlds apart. The dream to be a stay at home mom surpassed the dream of being a corporate executive.

The transition home proved challenging, but God provided for all of our needs and right on time. Answered prayers and opened doors allowed me to


serve my family, church and community. I never looked back. My new life was, and still is, my best life.

This Lenten season may we celebrate the new life God offers each of us through Jesus Christ, our Risen Lord.

Prayer: Father, thank you for making all things new, changing hearts and changing lives. Amen.

Marylane Wade Koch | Byhalia, MS

Easter Sunday, April 12

A New ThingScripture: Isaiah 43:19

One of our most generous sweet potato growers experienced a desert last year. The ground was hard and dry. It was the second year of erratic weather, each year including a fierce drought that killed his crop. To get through the wilderness, Mac had to sell a large portion of his land.

He was worried about us, though—about the Society of St. Andrew and the hungry people we fed with his sweet potatoes. Mac brainstormed ideas about how he could do a new thing to help us. He offered other talents to help us raise funds as a trained auctioneer and thought he could auction things to raise money and feed our hungry neighbors.

Christ makes a way in the wilderness, and in this farmer’s loving offer, I saw Christ. The gracious gift Mac was offering, in spite of his own dire loss, called to mind the widow’s mite. It called to mind the woman who spilled nard over the feet of Jesus. It called to mind Jesus, who, even though humanity killed him, gives humanity abundant life.

At Society of St. Andrew, I’m blessed to be surrounded by this kind of love, the love of the living Christ, embodied every day by the generous souls who give of their harvest, their time, and their funds. Some days I fail to perceive it, but on that day, I saw it in Mac.

Prayer: God of all creation, bless the ones who feed us. May the rain fall and the sun shine, each in accordance to your will, so that your children can be fed. Thank you for the ones who live lives of sacrificial generosity, for we see Living Water in them. Amen.

Jeannie Hunter | Nashville, TN

How Can I Help?GIVE AND SHARE HEALTHY FOOD EndHunger.org/donate

• When you give, you offer health – and hope for a better tomorrow.

• It costs just 3 cents to share one seving of food.

• Every gift matters!

LEARN MORE AND TELL OTHERSEndHunger.org/signup

• Join an email list.• Get the quarterly

newsletter.• Request Bible

study, devotional, or VBS materials.

GET OUT AND VOLUNTEEREndHunger.org/register

• Contact SoSA to find out more about gleaning opportunities.

• Glean a variety of crops throughout the year!

• Great for individuals, church groups, civic organizations, and school groups!

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Gleaning America’s FieFeeding America’s Hungry

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Daily Advent Devotionsfrom Society of St. Andrew

Available Autumn 2020Advent Begins November 29, 2020

Phone: 800-333-4597 • Email: [email protected]: EndHunger.org/Advent

Other Ways to Support Society of St. AndrewGive Securely Online by Credit Card, PayPal, or eCheck

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Give by Check—Mail to:3383 Sweet Hollow Road | Big Island, VA 24526

Give through your CongregationNote “Society of St. Andrew” in the Memo line of your check

Yes! Please sign me up for 12 Basketsq $12 per month will share 4,800 servings of healthy food each year, touching

the lives of 680 hungry children, women, and men.

q $24 per month will share 9,600 servings of healthy food each year, touching the lives of 1,360 hungry children, women, and men.

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Name __________________________________________ Phone _______________________

Address ______________________________________________________________________

City __________________________________________ State ______ Zip _______________

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q I’dliketosetupmymonthlydonationat:www.EndHunger.org/12q I’dliketoautomaticallywithdrawfundsfrommycheckingaccount. Please send the form to me.q Charge my credit card monthly rVISA rMC rAmEx rDiscover Account # _____________________________Exp. Date____________ CVV ________ Signature ______________________________________________________________________

Mail to: Society of St. Andrew • 3383 Sweet Hollow Rd • Big Island VA 24526

Share nourishing food with people in the greatest need year-round by joining the 12 Baskets Monthly Giving Program. Your gifts will make a tremendous impact by faithfully sharing healthy food with our hungry neighbors throughout the year.

Hunger Relief Ministriesof the Society of St. Andrew

Gleaning Network — A hands-on mission program for all ages, getting healthy food directly from fields and markets to the hungry people who need it most. The Gleaning Network brings together farmers with excess produce, volunteers to glean (pick, dig, or gather) that produce, and agencies feeding the hungry. People in need glean alongside people with plenty in this community-based program, that engages individuals, congregations, and civic organizations in service.

Potato & Produce Project — A produce salvage program, providing direct food relief to our nation’s poor, while addressing one of the major causes of hunger: food waste. The Potato & Produce Project salvages and distributes hundreds of tractor-trailer loads of fresh fruits and vegetables to food banks, soup kitchens, and other feeding agencies each year.

Seed Potato Project — A self-help program, providing seed potatoes purchased by Society of St. Andrew to impoverished rural communities, where people have access to land for gardening. Families plant, cultivate, and harvest their own crops, realizing a yield of about eight pounds of potatoes per pound planted.

Harvest of Hope — A hunger-focused work/study mission program.

Participants glean and distribute produce remaining in fields after harvest each morning and learn about the realities of hunger each evening. Bible study and dynamic worship round out days of Christian community and service, providing a basis for on-going commitment to ending hunger. Harvest of Hope offers middle school, high school, and intergenerational events throughout the summer.

Each year, the Society of St. Andrew distributes 60-90 million servings of nourishing food to hungry people throughout the United States.

Society of St. Andrew, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, a grassroots interfaith ministry, has been working toward a world without hunger since 1979.

3383 Sweet Hollow Road • Big Island, Virginia • 24526 • 800-333-4597

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