Tip of My Iceberg

Having been away from home for a chunk of time this summer–away from the responsibilities of maintaining said home–we came back to surprises.

Should have been expectations.

Dead–or mostly dead–cockroaches flopped belly up in various nooks and crannies. The legs still wiggling on some.

Old milk in the refrigerator that no one bothered to throw out.

Our tower garden bit the dust.

It was a sweet gift from my kids for Mother’s Day. A guaranteed opportunity to grow vegetables.

Constant sun with no water has a tendency to promote death.

Or so it appeared.

I was stunned to find a little cherry tomato hanging on an apparently dead vine.

Obviously not completely dead.

It made me think of zombies. Walking dead. Things that are dead but have a semblance of life. When we cut the withered and wasted parts back, pruning to see if there was any chance it would grow again, it was truly lifeless.

My tower garden was a zombie plant. It looked awful–spindly, brown, withered. That little tomato was a mockery to what it no longer was.

We’d only had it a couple of months.

Fact is, everything needs water. People, animals and plants deprived of water eventually die. Our need for it is part of our biology.

At times I forget to drink water. I get involved with whatever I’m doing and ignore my thirst. Or I think it’s something else. Like hunger.

I know what happens when I’m not hydrated. My legs cramp. I get fuzzy-headed and headachey.

Like the Snickers commercial, I’m not quite myself when I’m not drinking water.

Jesus made the claim of being a fountain of living water. The kind of water our souls thirst for. That which satisfies our hearts’ desire to be connected to the One who made us. To know Him so we can grow to be who He knows we can be.

I’m often looking for the next supplement or plan that will help me feel better. Be stronger. Whether it’s exercise, a new protein drink, a new time management plan or organizational skill, I’m hoping to be more vital in what I do. How I live.

When what I need–we all need–is Living Water. Jesus.

With water, we have to drink constantly to stay refreshed. It’s not something we can overlook without consequence. As a follower of Jesus, I can’t sip a little one day and ignore who He is in my life for days or weeks on end.

I become a spiritual zombie. Which pretty much looks like a real zombie. No real life.

He tells me to keep coming to Him to drink of His truth. Which I need to do to reflect Him genuinely to others.

The world sees a lot of us spiritual zombies and judges Jesus based on us. We’re not living fully in Him–and it makes others think He has nothing to offer, if this is what His people are like.

We all need His living water. Constantly.

He brings our wholly dead selves to life. Forever.

Wholly alive.

Better than being a zombie any day.