The Well-Spring

simplicity // 14
the Well-spring

There’s a lovely old house in Hampshire called Mottisfont, owned today by the National Trust. You may have heard of its famous walled rose garden, which is sublime in June. Although the house was most recently a private, grand place, it was originally an abbey. And the monks chose this spot to live, because very close by, there is a well-spring.

It is a simple pool, about two metres across, and three deep, and it looks as if the water is still, as a mirror. Yet flowing out from it is a channel of water, which gathers pace as it heads downhill to become a fast-flowing, wide stream.

In Saxon times, elders would summon their people to meetings (“moots”) at the well. It’s humbling to stand quietly at the spot where, a millennium before, these people gathered. You can sense the ancient human presence connecting with streams of refreshment from deep within the Earth.

The overflowing well became the principle source of water for a local village, and for the monastery, and also for the house. And for as long as anyone can remember, it has never been known to run dry. It has drawn people to it, and they have, in turn, drawn from it.

There is a proverb in the Bible that says, “Many words rush along like rivers in flood, but deep wisdom flows up from artesian springs.” It flows up from somewhere deep, deep down, and keeps flowing. Just like the pool. Living water.

Another says, “Knowing what is right is like deep water in the heart, and a wise person draws from the well within.” It need not be complicated. And so I wonder: what is your well within, and what helps you to draw from it, and how often do you return there, for sustenance?


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action point:

Perhaps you have a favourite place to which you return, which helps you to re-charge and draw deep. If so, try to go there, if you can; or spend a few minutes today imagining you are there. How does this place connect you with your ‘hidden depths’? How does it affect you? And how can you let its benefits – like the overflowing water at Mottisfont – flow through you and out to others, today?


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rsvp:

The Sunflower “Only one response to this truth: grab them seeds and let’s get planting!” Tristan

“This time my wife had tears in her eyes; she lost her mother to cancer when she was 18. She is thinking of giving sun-flower seeds as presents.” John

“I had just come back from a hectic overseas business trip and arrived back home at lunch time and was working from home for the rest of the day. I had just read the poignant mail about Kate when my wife and children came back from school and college in the late afternoon and was just struck by the beautiful ‘ordinariness’ of them coming through the door and saying ‘Hi Dad, great to see you, missed you,’ and so on. We will plant a sunflower together this weekend.” Daniel

“Growing a sunflower is a lovely idea! Every year about this time, I am truly, genuinely, gob-smacked that things are growing again in our (much loved, but very neglected) garden. Re-creation and renewal, literally in our backyard. Perfect. And a sunflower is so utterly astonishing – such vigour and growth and drama and beauty from such an unpromising start. Metaphor-tastic! Who could fail to be moved, and then to teach the kids in earnest tones about the ‘dream in the acorn’ (thanks, Helen) that God has planted in each of their hearts?!” Jenni

“By surprising coincidence on the day I finished reading The Sunflower by Simon Wiesenthal, the lent meditation was on sunflowers. Wiesenthal sees sunflowers growing on the graves of Nazi soldiers and later in the story his encounter with a dying SS officer shockingly forces us to consider the 'possibilities and limits of forgiveness'. Forgiving another can be a hard journey; but we don't want 'cheap grace, a casual people, or a forgotten victim'. Without resources within us to truly forgive, we need to be like sunflowers, turning our faces toward the son. ‘Forgiving and being forgiven are experiences that let us be free for a new day.’” Maggie

“Mixing much of the last few days into a simple thought... ‘Go out into the garden and play – I will call you when it is time for tea.’” Mark

The Child’s View “I had a busy day on Monday and read the reflection in the morning but decided to go back to it in the afternoon. When I was out and about in the morning, I needed to put a reminder on my phone for something I had to do later. I opened the ‘note app’ on the phone to discover, not a message to my 7-year-old self, but one from my 9-year-old daughter who had been playing with my phone the previous day. ‘Smile, because you are alive,’ it said.” Sheena

“It will be OK, and there will be many friends and exciting experiences on the way. You will be successful and gain confidence in the next place and stay there for much longer, making some very close and loyal friendships. This move will enable you to meet people and get on with them more easily as an adult and you will adapt well to different situations.” Paula

“You are a very special little girl. You have a loving family and a good home. I hope there will be lots of good times in your life ahead. There will probably also be some times when you feel lonely or rejected or a failure, or that you simply can’t get things right or work things out. This happens to all of us. It never means God has gone away, but it does mean we have to work harder at praying...” Sandra

“The Child's View” and “the Kingfisher” unveiled memories and thoughts that had been buried from my childhood. We had a series of large books in our home, and in one there was a page with colour pictures of six birds - a blue tit, a green finch, an eagle, a falcon, a robin, and yes, a kingfisher (I’m amazed I can remember them all). I loved to trace them, or try to draw and colour them in. Most special to me were the kingfisher and the falcon. I thought kingfishers were huge birds and was shocked as an adult when I saw how small it seemed. Perhaps like that child, I need to see again how BIG and wonderful the ‘little’ things really are. How big the moon really is, it only looks small! How big are the things that I've allowed to become little, how little are the things that I've allowed to become big. How big is the greatest love story that we’ve condensed into two-hour movies or 15 minute nativities, how big is the creator God and how little I still really know about his beautiful creation and gigantic love.” Paul


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May you draw deep, today.
Go well!

Brian