One of the fondest memories I have was to help my grandma gather the eggs and then to help with the feed and water for the chickens. On a cement curb erect as a sentry stood a manual pump and handle that pulled water from a cistern that was dug and capped before my grandparents acquired the property in 1970. Snow, rain, drought, wind, abundant snow, that pump was used to provide water for all of the animals near the house. And super-gratefully happy to pump water from that well was me (little Robby). And no matter how many times and buckets of water I filled, I never learned the lesson until I was a little older that my little hot dog arms was never going to take that bucket off from the pump and then carry it full of water to any place it needed to go (until I was near pre-teen, that bucket full of water possibly weighed as much as I did or more so often times if the bucket was more than half full if I ever attempted to carry it, more of the water splashed onto me than was poured into a trough). But I sure did love pumping that water. Although cautioned to never drink that water, I pumped tens of gallons of that water for the dogs, cats, chickens, calves, hogs, and the mean geese (anyone who’s handled geese know how temperamental and territorial they are). With that water we cleaned the fish that were caught from the ponds. It was the water we used to clean any game—rabbits, squirrels, coons, and deer—we shot. In the basement of the house was an electric pump and a cut off valve that if the rural water was stopped due to an outage or some other event, it was just a simple matter to turn a valve and turn on the power to a pressure pump and the house will continue to be supplied with an abundance of water from that cistern (it was never used my whole life). It was an honor that I loved until the hand pump was sadly and very disappointingly withdrew at the end of the farm sale near Blue Mound, Missouri October 2020 (the pump was given away for maybe $20 for the pair (if they weren’t just given away, and they may have been); there were two cisterns and two pumps near the house on that farm). And although the cistern had silted in some and the leathers were very worn on the pump, if you pumped it (enough) you would always get water from it.
Another cistern is also on that same farm (now on my parents’ side of the property) near the property line of a neighboring small farm to the north. The cistern is located near Clear Creek and a legend has it that the cistern was there to provide water for the passengers and horses that came by many decades prior when there was an old stagecoach line that ran through the bottom of Clear Creek. Fed by water leaching in, overflow from the creek (when it used to flow a lot more water than it does now all thanks to the quarry that ruined the spring that feeds the creek), and run off from rain and snow, it is now nothing much more than a lined hole in the ground of something that was needed and used during a time of “once was”. Presently it is no more than two feet deep with a small amount of trash thrown in it from someone being lazy and inconsiderate. Sadly this one-time needed cistern serves no purpose any more.
But wells are different from a cistern. A cistern is nothing more than a hole in the ground (or in a tank) that collects/storage/store water fed by outside water sources. A well on the other hand is a hole dug into the ground to an underground water source fed by a spring/aquifer, underground stream, or naturally occurring water held (and designed by God). But a well is different in one regard, the water is fresh and often flowing/moving. In other words, a well gives naturally while a cistern takes and only gives if effort is made. Wells also served an important purpose in the Bible. Because it usually contained fresh or living water, it was gladly used to feed people and animals. Homes and cities were built around a reliable water source. And even when streams and rivers would dry up, a well would almost always have water to give. I have drunk well water for years. Even my city’s water is supplied by multiple wells.
But I would like for us to look at this matter from another point of view. According to Mark Gungor (et. al.) women are generally givers while men are takers. And regardless of gender, there are people whom we know, have met, or will eventually meet who naturally are givers while others are naturally takers. There are people who give (or a well) by their presence lighting up a room while there are others that suck (or a cistern) life and joy out of a room. And there are people in a church who give of their hearts, their experiences, their gifts, their lives and do so willingly and cheerfully. While there are others who receive more than they give, make everything about them and are often disappointed when others don’t want to be around them, who ask from the church or makes expectations of the church without giving (or giving little in comparison) to be a blessing. A discipler or someone who desires to impart and asks little or nothing in return is a well while a person who desires to only preach sermons or only lead so eyes can be fixed on him and give him or her praise is a cistern. A well sacrifices, gives, takes initiative, and gets involved. A well uplifts and encourages and wants to be not only a positive testimony, a witness, and an encourager for sinners to turn to Christ, but also blesses and encourages Christians to be wells or become better wells. A well sees and seizes opportunities. A well builds and imparts. A cistern doesn’t impart, has to be made or asked to be involved and only their bucket-full amount and no more, is a bad testimony or witness of how not to be a Christian for others, and discourages or brings people down. A cistern also is self-focused (including self-pity).
Another word picture that was given to me many years ago is a person’s life is like a water pitcher. A pitcher serves only one purpose and that it is properly pour out its contents to others to make room for more to be filled back into the pitcher. The spout is intentionally made to carefully direct its liquid contents into glasses/cups at a measured pace. And for metal pitchers, they never rust or decay while they continue to do what they are supposed to do: pour out. But when the liquid is held and kept and never or rarely poured out, the container becomes discolored or weakens. The contents become nasty. And eventually the container and what was inside has to be discarded because neither serve a purpose any more. This latter matter is like a cistern-person. They receive finances from God, they receive sermons or lessons from God, they receive blessings from God; but sadly this cistern person doesn’t pour out naturally. And eventually a cistern person refuses instruction, knows it all, unwilling to learn or admit when there are wrong especially when others and most of scripture says otherwise. A well-person is someone who as soon as they receive, they want to give or bless. They invite. They share. They impart. They want others to enjoy. So is the person who as he/she receives, they immediately pour out their pitcher (their heart/life) which naturally makes room for more in their pitcher/heart. And as more comes, the fresher it becomes. A well-person is able to teach because they are a teachable person. Events can turn into learning opportunities. A cistern person believes they are fine and right and are easily offended if challenged.
In June 2023 we (my wife and I) were at the farm that my grandparents’ once owned and we spoke with the will-to-be spouse of the owner of the side he (her fiancé) owns which is the house, a number of buildings, land, and those two above/ground cistern curbs, she asked about the pumps. She disappointingly learned from us that the pumps were taken at the time of the sale. They (these new owners) would have liked to have had those pumps remain as (one) it was tangible property of the farm, not a widget to be taken/given away and (two) they would like to service the pumps so they could be put back into service to water the eventual animals on that farm. Until (and if) a pump is put there, that cistern serves no purpose. And with time, further decay, and exposure to the elements, that cistern will cease to serve any meaningful purpose. A taker for decades will serve no future use. But had a well been dug, it would have continued to give and give so long as someone was available to receive and so long as the pump serves its purpose to pump.
Are we a cistern or a well?