Mark Sorensen I loved reading a story told by pastor Charles Swindoll found in his book, Living Above the Level of Mediocrity. In his book, he tells the story of a young man who had been lost in the desert for several days, dehydrated, weary and desperate for a drink of water. Just when it seemed like he wasn’t going to make it, the man stumbled upon an old shack with an unlocked door. As he walked inside, he was elated to see an old, rusty water pump. Thinking that it was too good to be true, he ran over, grabbed the pump handle and began to move it up and down. Sadly, nothing came out as a result. It was dry.
Thinking that was the end, he fell to the ground. Yet, that was when he saw something he hadn’t noticed before: right next to the pump sat an old jar. He picked it up, wiped off the dust and saw a note taped to the front that read, “You have to prime the pump with all the water in this jug, my friend. P.S. Be sure you fill the jug again before you leave.”
He popped the cork off the top of the jug and, sure enough, it was filled with water! Now he was presented with a real decision: Should he drink the jug of water and guarantee he wouldn’t die of thirst, or should he trust the note and use the water to prime the pump, offering the chance to yield fresh cool water, deep from within the spring, which was what he truly wanted?
Reluctantly, he chose to trust the note on the jug and poured the water from the jug into the pump. He grabbed the handle, closed his eyes and began to pump the handle. As he did, slowly, a small trickle of water began to drip, followed by a smaller stream, and then followed by a gush of cool, fresh water! Eagerly, he filled the jug and drank from it. He filled it another time and once again, drank until he was satisfied.
When he was finally finished, he filled the jug he had used to prime the pump and added this note to the jug: “Believe me, it really works. You have to give it all away before you can get anything back.”
In last Sunday’s message on Generous Hearts, we talked about priorities, purpose and trust. When God is at the center of our lives, our priorities are right. When our purpose is found in knowing Jesus and making Him known, that’s a life that matters. What follows? Priming the pump of our lives with His goodness and trusting in the abundance that He promises to give.
