The Story of Love after Five Heartbreaks

Five is just a number I threw in. It actually represents a number that is just “too much”.

This is a story about being broken one- or five- too many times. Sadly, we all know this feeling a little too well.

And today, after hearing the Sunday preaching*, I started to connect with the broken-hearted Samaritan woman. 

The Samaritan woman was beyond jaded.  She has had five husbands. FIVE husbands!  That’s five messy break-ups or five divorces for you!  Even in today's standards, having that many divorces is a bit too much to handle.  We are no Elizabeth Taylor!  Unfortunately, for the Samaritan woman, none of which worked. Imagine how distraught and insignificant she might have felt after every failed marriage.

Through time and numerous translations of the Word, no one can really tell how each of her relationships ended.  Maybe one died? Another beat her up? Another was too busy with work? Another cheated? And so she cheated, too? We will never know for sure, but this one is certain: it must all be devastating to the point where she found herself looking for love and acceptance in pretty much anyone who can offer her even a pinch of self-worth. 

I have never been married, but I know what it’s like to be pushed aside and made worthless by men (and women!) you gave your heart to. And the feeling is NOT good, to say the least.

 To everyone who has felt broken, made worthless, needs grace, love, forgiveness and a renewed heart, we are the Samaritan woman.

We thirst for genuine love and acceptance, but we feel like we don't deserve it.

But guess what? Like her, there is love and grace waiting for us in the well.

Yes, Samaritans, the Lover of our soul sits there by the well ready to fill you because He loves us very, very, very much!  

We are so unworthy of it, I know, but still He has given us this unconditional love that can never, ever be taken away by those…ahem... heartbreakers!

You know the feeling of being so in love that you just can’t contain it? The Samaritan woman, after feeling this renewed love and revived soul, was overflowing with joy that she went out and told everyone in town about it.

This is probably similar to how she overflowed:  “Hey everyone, God is awesome! He understands me and accepts me despite all my failures. He loves me so much more than all of my past loves combined!”

Isn’t it amazing to know that not only does He love you, but He will also make your love story worth telling. And in doing so, He can use you mightily.

“Many of the Samaritans from the town believed in Him because of the woman’s testimony…” –John 4:39

My dear friends, it is through our beautiful stories of brokenness and of renewal that people start to listen and believe in the God that saves us from misery and supplies never ending grace and love to everyone who needs it.

If you have experienced God’s love and grace one time or the other, no matter who you are, I think your story is worth telling.

If you’ve come to a point where you have experienced something awesome through Him, tell the whole world about it!

Somewhere down the road, there are people who need to hear it.

And when they come looking and longing for the Lover of our soul let them say this:

“We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.” –John 4:42

I am the Samaritan woman by the well, and I am blown away by a powerful love that embraces me and fills my heart like no one else could.  Let Him fill you today as well.

(For the full story on the Samaritan woman read through John 4)

 *Agape Manila service today.