Grace Like an Overflowing Spring

I recently had an unexpected encounter with flowing water — and not the peaceful kind. Imagine discovering water gushing through your meter at a startling 12 gallons per minute! That’s what happened at my Southbridge Court residence when an underground leak sprang up between the water meter and my house. It created quite a bit of excitement (haha) for over a week, but thankfully, the issue was fixed, and no damage was done. As I reflected on that chaotic burst of water, I couldn’t help but think about the way natural springs flow — and how that mirrors God’s grace.

A spring is a remarkable thing. It flows steadily and freely, bubbling up from deep within the earth. No one has to switch it on or earn the right to access it — it just flows, offering its cool, refreshing water to all who come near. God’s grace is like that — an endless supply of love and mercy that pours into our lives whether we deserve it or not. We don’t have to achieve anything to earn it; grace simply is — ever-present, abundant, and freely given.

Of course, my recent water leak wasn’t exactly the refreshing kind — but it did remind me that water, like grace, has a way of showing up where it’s needed (and sometimes where it’s not!). God’s grace can surprise us like that, rushing in when we least expect it — sustaining us in hardship, comforting us in grief, or reminding us of God’s love when we feel unworthy. Even when life feels dry or uncertain, grace continues to flow, sometimes quietly like a trickling stream, other times powerfully like a rushing current — but always enough to meet our needs.

Reflecting on that unexpected week of water woes, I’m reminded how grateful I am for God’s grace — a gift that never runs dry. No matter how far we’ve wandered, how broken we feel, or how overwhelmed we become, grace continues to flow — freely, abundantly, and without condition. Like a spring that never stops bubbling up from the earth, God’s love is always present, ready to refresh and renew our souls.

Reflection Questions:

1. In what areas of your life have you experienced God’s grace flowing unexpectedly, like a rushing spring?

2. How can you cultivate an awareness of God’s abundant grace in your daily life?

3. How might your relationships with others change if you extended grace as freely as God offers it to you?

-Deacon Deb Clifford