Are You Dirtying Your Drinking Water?

Last week, my dear friend Christie gave me some wonderful news.  After seeking permanent employment for a little over a year, the Lord blessed her with an awesome job opportunity.  But that’s not the most amazing part of the story.  Once my friend applied for this particular position, she was surprised at how quickly the company responded with a request to meet with her.

Subsequent to arriving for the interview a few short days later, the manager, who would be conducting the meeting, informed her that there was someone he wanted her to meet.  As she turned to greet his colleague, her mouth fell open with shock.  It was none other than her good friend, Angel, whom she had worked with many years ago.  As they had lost touch, it was a pleasure to see it each again.  Christie discovered that it was Angel who had chose her resume out of a pile of Cover Letters.  In fact, the reason the position had opened up in the first place was that Angel had decided to become a Stay-at-Home Mom.  Fortunately for Christie, she also had a hand in the candidate selection process.  That’s why there was such a quick turnaround regarding her interview.  The company needed a qualified replacement, the Manager informed Christie.   Since they both had the same work experience, Christie more than made the cut. “I would have never guessed back then that Angel would help me get my future job,” Christie later explained to me.  “I guess it is true what they say,” she continued. “You really do have to be careful how you treat people.” 

While she gave her testimony to me over the phone, all I could do was shake my head in awe at the faithfulness of our God.  He truly is magnificent!  After she finished, I said, “You didn’t dirty your drinking water.”  “What did you say?” she asked.  I repeated, “You didn’t dirty your drinking water.  In other words, just like we need clean drinking water to survive.  We also need clean and healthy working relationships.  When water is contaminated or dirtied, it is no longer fit for drinking.  When we sabotage a professional source, it can contaminate or hinder our future career prospects.” “Wow, that’s so true,” declared Christie.  “I know…right!” I concurred.  I moved on to say, “Bishop T.D. Jakes famously once said, ‘Be careful how you treat people when you think you won’t need them.’   Because you were so kind to Angel years ago, she remembered and referred you to her Supervisor.  Therefore, because your relationship with her remained pure, the opportunity for this position was not polluted,” I pondered out loud.  “I never thought of like that,” Christie admonished.  “Trust me…I never have either.  That was a revelation straight from the Holy Spirit,” I admitted.  “Too bad I didn’t always see it like that,” I confessed. “Me neither,” agreed Christie.

Beloved, are you, too, guilty of not always nurturing and/or sustaining social contacts?  If so, it’s never too late to start!  Reach out to that Sister Friend that’s been on your mind lately who you haven’t seen in awhile.  Go ahead and mail out that Belated Birthday card that you’ve been holding onto for the past two weeks. Your relative will appreciate it anyway simply because it’s from you.  So what if the summer is almost over?  You and the ladies from church can still get together for brunch one Sunday afternoon.  Don’t be afraid to call that schoolmate whose business card you’ve kept from your last Class Reunion.  He might have a job lead after all.  You never know whom our Heavenly Father will use to bless you!  In turn, we mustn’t forget what Jesus said in Matthew 7:12 NIV.  He warns, “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”

Whatever I do now in life, Dear Heart, I am determined not to dirty my drinking water!  Should you also agree, let’s make a sincere effort to nurture our social connections, not neglect them.  For it’s like my mother has always said, “You never know who you are going to need to give you a glass of water during the later years of your life.”