---

PRAYER FOR THE WEEK
Jesus, for Lent, help me do what I'm asked without questioning or arguing! Amen.

Jesus met a Samaritan woman getting water from a well. "Give me a drink," Jesus asked. The woman said, "You're Jewish - your people don't like mine. Why ask me for a drink?" Jesus answered, "I could give you living water." Then He told the woman all about her life, so she believed in Him. She told friends, who followed Jesus, too.

It's Lent! Some kids give something up for Lent, like candy. Some try to do something extra, like volunteering. Imagine how surprised your parents would be if, for Lent, you tried to do what they asked without arguing!

It can seem like a kid's job to ask the reason an adult wants something, instead of just doing it. Even adults argue with others before being helpful - including the woman in this week's Gospel (John 4:5-42).

Jesus traveled a lot, and He walked everywhere. He must have been hot, tired and thirsty when He met the Samaritan woman. She was already at the well, pulling out pails of water, so He asked her for a drink.

It was a simple request, like when your parents ask you to put your dirty clothes in the laundry basket or finish your homework before going on Facebook. The Samaritan woman could have just done it.

Instead, like most kids, she asks questions: Why would Jesus, a Jew, ask her, a Samaritan, to do Him a favor? What does He mean when He says He can give her "living water?" How does Jesus know all about her life?

Jesus - still waiting for water - answers all her questions, like a parent who has to answer a kid's questions about why they have to do something before they'll actually do it.

Lent is a good time to try something new - like just doing what your parents ask, instead of questioning and arguing. After all, how often do they ask you to do something without a reason?

Don't make them wait like Jesus: The Samaritan woman decided to follow Him, but we never find out whether she got Him some water![[In-content Ad]]

---