Ice In The Fountain

M

y hometown is a tightly knit community with a population of around 5000 people.  Some families, like my own, have lived there for generations, carefully watching and monitoring all the changes over the years.  As a young boy, Cherryville proved a wonderful place in which to grow up.  We didn't worry about kidnappings; we didn't worry about being out late at night playing; we didn't even worry locking our doors.  It was true small-town America and I loved it.

My favorite time of year was summer.  School was out, we went bare foot, and we got up early, played hard, and came in late.  I could visit my friends' houses on weeknights and we could get into all kinds of mischief without getting into too much trouble.  We rode our bikes for miles on end, going from one end of town to the other, exploring neighborhoods, and seeing who could ride the farthest distance in the least amount of time.  All in all, we were just typical kids doing typical summertime things.

All this activity meant that we worked up a considerable thirst and when we wanted something cool to drink, there was only one place to go.  On East First Street, just one block from the town square, there stood an ice plant built completely of wood.  People would come from miles around just to buy bags of freshly crushed ice.  I remember on several occasions my dad would send me to get ice when we made ice cream or when we cut a watermelon.  I enjoyed watching the iceman take a huge chunk of ice from the freezer, put it into the crusher, and fill a brown paper bag with ice.  I can still see it to this day.

However, the best part about the ice plant was its water fountain.  The fountain sat outside on the porch and had the coldest water in town.  The water was cold because the employees at the ice plant would place a large chunk of ice inside the fountain, next to the water line.  As the water passed through the fountain, it was instantly chilled. Nothing tasted better on a hot summer day than that water and we kids would ride, sometimes from across town, just to drink at that fountain.  The fountain was always available, day or night, rain or shine, to anyone wanting a drink.  The water was always cold, wet, and refreshing.

The prophet Isaiah understood the importance of cool, fresh water.  Geographically, Israel has a lot of desert.  It is hot, dry, arid, and very little water falls in several of its regions.  Water is a welcomed sight, and its value is beyond measure.  It is no wonder then, that our scripture lesson today addresses God's blessings in terms of water.  In Isaiah 44:3, the prophet writes, "For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and floods on the dry ground."

What a wonderful promise this is. Even after the children of Israel rejected God, even after they worshiped other idols, even after they refused to live up to the covenant they made with God, He still promised to bless them.  No longer would they wonder in a hot, deserted land.  No longer would the burning thirst for God's presence go unquenched.  No longer would they search for living water.  Instead, God would bless them, pouring out His spirit and His blessing upon all who thirsted.

In John's gospel, Jesus speaks of this same water.  In his discussion with the Samaritan woman at the well, he promises that those believing in him will have a well of living water springing up from within.  Jesus offers the water that quenches our thirst once and for all.  Once we drink from this water, our souls are at rest, they are content, and they are satisfied.  Water from any other source will satisfy our thirst for a short while but we will thirst again.  The world offers many fountains from which to drink, however, only one fountain will ever totally quench our thirst.

There were several water fountains in Cherryville where you could get a cool drink; but there was only one fountain offering water cooled with fresh ice.  While the other fountains offered water, only the ice plant gave consistently cold water on a continual basis.  As Christians, we need to be like the water fountain at our old ice plant.  All around us people are thirsty.  They are searching for a way to quench their thirst once and for all.  Most of them are drinking from several different fountains in a vain attempt to find peace of mind and soul.  Let us share Jesus with them today.  God's promise is that He will pour water on all those who are thirsty. Jesus himself said that all those who thirsted for righteousness would be filled.  Won't you share a cold drink of water with someone today?