Jacobs’ well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon. John 4:6 NIV

A few weeks ago, I attended a women’s gathering called The Well, held at a quaint little coffee shop with good coffee and delicious food. I thought I was going to enjoy conversation and fellowship, but I left thinking about how much we carry beneath the surface. As the facilitator asked questions and each woman shared from her own experience, I was reminded that sometimes we come to the well thirsty, and sometimes we have something to offer the woman beside us.

The name of the gathering had a special meaning for me because I grew up in the country, where wells were a familiar part of life. Standing beside a well, you cannot tell how deep it goes simply by looking at the surface. I think people are much the same. Each woman in that coffee shop carried experiences, lessons, and hopes that the rest of us could not see until she chose to share them.

The facilitator’s questions were like a bucket lowered into the well. One question at a time, they gave us a way to bring something into the light: a memory, a lesson learned, or a hope we were still holding on to. Her questions made room for honest answers, and each woman spoke from her own experience.

I received perspectives I had not considered before. Listening to another woman’s story helped me look at some things differently. That is one way we draw water from the well. We may arrive needing encouragement, and someone’s words give us what we need to take the next step.

I also found that I had something to offer. Insights from my own life became part of the conversation and may have helped another woman see her situation more clearly. We took turns drawing from the well and pouring into it. No one needed to have all the answers for the time we shared to be meaningful.

A well needs tending, and so does a place where women can speak honestly. The facilitator cared for that space through the questions she asked. Each woman helped care for it by listening with respect. We did not have to share the same experiences to learn from one another.

I also thought about the woman at the well in John 4. Jesus met her in an ordinary place and took time to speak with her. Their conversation went deeper than the water she had come to draw. It reminds me that when we give someone our attention, we may learn there is much more to her story than we first imagined.

I went to The Well expecting good coffee, food, and fellowship, and I enjoyed all three. I left with something more: a reminder that there is depth in every woman’s story. Sometimes we need to receive another person’s wisdom. Sometimes we need the courage to share our own. And when we make room for both, we can leave one another a little more encouraged than we came.

What have you received from the women in your life? And what might your own story offer to someone who needs encouragement today?