The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone, “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?” So the people came streaming from the village to see him. Many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because the woman had said, “He told me everything I ever did!” John 4:28-30, 39 (NLT)
The woman in this story came to the well at midday....which was odd because all the women of the town came early in the morning. They socialized, caught up with each other and cemented their sense of community. This woman could not go with everyone else. She had a reputation in the town and no one would talk to her. It must have been very painful to be at the well and be ignored so she went later when she could ignore her life.
When she met Jesus though all that changed. She left her jar on the well and ran back into the town to tell everyone who she met. She ran into the very life that she was running from to share her Good News. She forgot about what she thought of herself and what they thought of her.
Jesus is funny like that. He knows all of our weaknesses, our fears and what stops us cold. He knows where we need to grow and just how to get us to do it.
Are you someone hiding from a reputation? Or are you afraid of something that is so deeply ingrained in you that you couldn't possibly move past it? Do you have something in your life that is holding you back that you should let go of? Friend, these are all the places that Jesus is going to work. He's going to meet you exactly where you are and move you past that place.
Will it be scary? Most definitely. Will you think you can't do it? Yep. But the one thing you can always count on as you walk into this journey you are on with Jesus, he's walking right beside you. He has not left you alone in the middle of your fear. He's holding your hand.
So, leave your jar at the well and run into the very thing you are running from. The adventure will be amazing.