A bottle of water

If you were outside and you had a bottle of water, and someone came and asked you for a drink, would you give it to him or her? What if it were a good friend? What if it were a total stranger? 

There’s a story about a thirsty stranger in Genesis 24. He was a servant of Abraham—the man chosen by God to father the nation of Israel. Abraham lived in the distant land of Canaan, and when his son Isaac was old enough, he knew he had to find a wife for him. 
Finding a wife for his son was a very important task and not one Abraham could trust to just anyone. The man Abraham chose to find a wife for Isaac was a man who believed in God the same as his master. We know this because the man asked the Lord to help him find a wife for Isaac. 
When the servant arrived in Abraham’s homeland, he asked for a sign. He would ask a woman at the well for a drink, and if the woman offered to water his camels, he would know she was the one. 
No sooner did he finish praying than a woman named Rebekah arrived at the well. The servant asked her for a drink, and Rebekah offered to water his camels as well. The servant had his sign. He had found a wife for Isaac! 
Most people who read this story stop there. They see God giving a sign, a miracle, and that’s all. But let me ask you this: What did Rebekah’s actions say about her? 
In biblical times, people did not have running water in their homes. Everyone had to go to the well in the centre of town daily to get water. It was a hard task, and the water jugs were very heavy. Rebekah was offering to get water for a stranger and a group of camels in addition to the water she had to draw for her family. 
She was also offering to do something she had not been asked to do. It’s one thing to respond to a person in need asking for water, but Rebekah saw the camels. She knew the man needed water for the animals, and rather than just doing what she was asked, she offered to meet the needs of his animals. 
Jesus once said that if a soldier asked you to carry his pack one mile, you should go with him two. It’s never easy to stop what we’re doing and help a person in need. It’s even harder to go the second mile. But there’s no better way to share the love of God than going that extra mile.