The Memory of Water

"But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14

" . . . he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul." Psalm 23: 2-3

"Those who believed . . . were baptized." Acts 2:41

With the turn of the nozzle
Like opening a medicine bottle
The cool, flawless, hand of liquid envelops my own.
My countenance changes entirely.
A sip of water, clear and breezy,
Travels quickly, stirring the senses.
Suddenly ready for the moments to come.
With the sound of a glittering cascade
Even the small trickle of a fountain in a store.
The fluid whisper of peace.
My breath is deeper.
With the dip of my feet in a pool,
Like silent slippers of restoration,
Invigorated by this simple act,
My entire body is cooled.
Vacations at the lake,
The gentle rocking of the waves beneath the boat,
Lying on the dock, tracing my name in the surface
Finding healing for the infection of routine.
Trips to the beach,
Seagulls sing as waves dive upon the shore,
Even the sand castles need water for strength.
The memory of water brings serenity
But one moment stands above the rest.
Just old enough to decide and understand.
Draped in a robe of white,
A man called my name,
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost
The water kissed by forehead, my lips, my chin
Like crawling into Daddy’s lap for a talk,
Or Mommy’s arms after a long day at school,
Encased in a blanket of warmth.
The water fell over my head as I took in my first breath.
Smiling faces behind the applause
My new invisible friend at my side
And I felt different,
Cleaner than a long bath after a dusty afternoon of kickball.
And that is my best memory of water.