Come to the Well.
A well is a source of fresh, refreshing water? Carol Harrison shares a story about how a wishing well planter refreshed her soul at a conference.
A Well of Refreshing
Have you ever attended a workshop or conference and didn’t know quite what to expect? I registered for the 2019 Inscribe Christian Writers’ conference eager to meet together with other writers who were Christians. The theme of Come to the Well drew me in and I longed to be filled and refreshed. I know it doesn’t take a conference or retreat to approach God’s well of refreshing and promise for it is as close as spending time in His Word but I guess I wanted to connect with others as well.
But I must admit to being sceptical about this open space technology concept which was proposed instead of traditional workshops, even as moments of intrigue surfaced. Many questions kept running through my mind. How would open space work? What topics might be covered? Would I glean even a few tidbits of information to challenge or help me in my own writing journey or in life? I had no topics to submit and hoped others would come prepared. Even as I contemplated these questions, the conference drew me like a thirsty person coming to a well of cool, clear water. I longed for the connection of this community. I needed to be filled.
Resting In The Presence of Jesus
My decision to attend proved correct. The opening praise, worship and devotional each day allowed me to rest in the presence of Jesus and filled my heart with promises of an ever available well that never runs dry. It set the tone for each day, the entire conference and continued when I arrived home. Corporate worship, blended voices, and touching words of hymns and songs filled my heart with praise to God Almighty.
Our keynote speaker, Sigmund Brouwer, delighted, informed, and challenged my thinking about being a writer in his presentation. He told us he is a storyteller who uses writing as a medium to share them. I believe in the importance of story and how much story matters but Sigmund’s words reinforced this as he repeated it often in the presentation.
Writing As Healing
One of the powerful sessions I attended covered the topic, Writing as Healing. Alan Anderson facilitated the group discussion, asking us to dig into the meaning behind words and phrases commonly used when we think about healing. He challenged us to define the terms, the concepts and go deeper in our thinking. What does healing mean to me? What does moving forward look like to me? It made me pause and not use words or concepts without discovering what they really mean in my life.
Key Phrases and Ideas
As we dissected the terms, shared our thoughts and stories around the group some key phrases and ideas stuck in my mind. One writer said a person can’t heal until they bring the trauma to light. To be able to move forward you need to have the ability to face, verbalize and share whatever the traumatic situation is, even if only to yourself. We agreed that no matter how much you choose to share with others, you can verbalize it to yourself and God. It is your story. What you do with it is up to you. I pictured an old beat-up truck stuck in a mud hole, unable to move forward or backward without help. God waits for us to seek His help.
Aspects of Editing
The session, Writing Tightly for Great Impact, suggested and facilitated by Ron Hughes, offered many helpful tips. Several seasoned editors attended and offered us important information about all aspects of editing. Being willing to receive critiques of our work, continue to develop and learn more skills and hire an editor before publishing anything will improve our work and marketability.
Open concept involves the ‘law of two feet’ and gave everyone permission to attend sessions, seek out others to network with, or simply rest. A table filled with writing prompts and colouring pages provided a space to simply come together informally. I enjoyed times of connecting with new people and ones I had not seen for a year or more. We shared stories, ideas and struggles about carving out time to write.
A Wishing Well Planter
A wishing well planter provided one of the decorations and it held index cards with Bible verses printed on them. The prayer team had asked God to give them verses to write on each card. We were invited to come and draw from the well whenever we wanted or needed to. I picked a card and read the verse God gave at that moment Psalm 46:10,
“He says, “Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth.”
I thought about the Samaritan woman who came to the well and met Jesus in John 4. She came when no one else usually congregated there to avoid being shunned or the shame she felt about her life. Whatever the reason we come to the well these words Jesus spoke in verse 13 and 14 are for us.
“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in hi a spring of water welling up to eternal life”
I Came to the Well Tired
I came to the well tired, overwhelmed, intrigued, and skeptical about this new concept for learning. I left pleasantly surprised at how everything worked together in a manner which offered a variety of options for learning, valuable information, and connections that can continue via technology. I came home refreshed, encouraged, and challenged to continue using the gift God gave me to tell stories that can impact others and help me heal during the tough times that happen. I think back now and realize we can come to the well, to the refreshment found only in Christ, anytime and anywhere.
How do you express gratitude to God? We would love to hear from you. Comment below or contact us at HopeStreamRadio.
Carol Harrison
Listen to Carol’s program Puzzle Pieces Of Life or visit Carol’s website carolscorner.ca
Carol Harrison B.Ed is a speaker and published author with one book, Amee’s Story and stories in twelve anthologies. She is passionate about helping people of all ages and ability levels find their voice and reach their fullest potential.
She knows, through personal experience that some of life’s experiences are tougher than others. She encourages people that even in the twists and turns of life God’s amazing grace provides hope.
She lives in Saskatoon, SK with her husband Brian. They have four adult children and a dozen grandchildren.
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