Wishing for a Well

Was her faith deep enough to reach water?

By Edna Johnson

Residents of Meadville, Pennsylvania, refer to 1991 as "The Year of the Drought." But as Lorraine Probst, 72, would say, difficult circumstances like that give God more opportunities to work.

When the Probsts moved into their home in 1974, they soon found out they were on "the dry side" of U.S. Route 322 , four miles outside of Meadville. The neighbors on their side of the road had to pipe water from springs on the other side. Before her husband, Leslie, died in 1984, he had dug a surface well to provide water for their 3/4-acre lot. The 1,000-gallon holding tank sunk underground was fed by underground springs from the steep hill across the road. Water was piped in, controlled by a pump in the basement of the house.

With Leslie gone, Lorraine regularly checked the water level in the holding tank by slipping a fifteen-foot stick down to measure the water. It never dropped more than 10 to 12 inches. That is, until August of 1991.

It was hot and dry. Lorraine's first indication that the water supply was dwindling was a dramatic drop in water pressure. Thinking maybe it was the pump, she decided to check the storage tank. The water level was less than a foot! The tank was nearly dried up!

Along with other neighbors facing the same problem, Lorraine began to ration her water supply. When the tank dried up completely, she started driving four miles every other day to her church-United Brethren in Christ Church-to fill three or four pails of water from a spigot at the parsonage. The church was not having the water problem many members were experiencing. In addition, a doctor Lorraine worked for helped out by delivering barrels of water he filled from a spring on his property, which kept flowing through the drought.

For a month, Lorraine hauled the water. But it was getting more and more difficult physically. With deteriorating back discs, lifting the pails of water was excruciating. In desperation, she cried out to God for three solid weeks.

Didn't pray for rain

Lorraine wasn't certain that rain was the answer to her problems. How much rain would it take to fill up the storage tank fed by the springs? And how long would it last? Instead, her prayers were simply for water-and wisdom in determining how to get it.

There just has to be water here, God, Lorraine prayed-at prayer meeting and alone at home. You know I need water. Please show me what I need to do.

Lorraine sensed God telling her she should dig a new well. Common sense told her otherwise-a geological survey that her husband had checked confirmed that their house-along with five neighbors within a mile-was sitting on a sand bar. No water was available. A construction company down the road had spent $2,500 for a deep-and dry-well.

But Lorraine never doubted her instructions. She phoned a well-driller and asked him to come out. He came, but his words gave no hope. "You know your husband was told there was absolutely no indication any water is here. Our findings confirm it."

As the driller set up the rig, he said,"I just hate to see you do this! It's going to be a terrible disappointment."

When he left, Lorraine called her oldest son, Dennis, a missionary in Japan. "You know what the geologist told your dad. We know what the drillers are saying. But I still feel that God wants me to drill."

Knowing how God always provided and also confident of his mother's deep faith, Dennis encouraged her. "If God is indeed telling you that, I would obey God."

So Lorraine prayed. Her friends at church prayed. The children in Vacation Bible School prayed.

Taking a big risk

"I think I'll have you go ahead," Lorraine told the driller. "I'd like to try it. I'm just going to trust the Lord to give me water."

When the driller came back, he indicated a location for the well. Lorraine pointed out that it looked too close to the septic tank. Shouldn't it be farther away? Finally, he found a spot in the far corner of the backyard.

The night before bringing the rig, the driller told Lorraine, "You have the opportunity to say no. I really think it would be wise, because there is a documented history of no water on this side of the highway."

But Lorraine was firm. "No, I'm sticking to it."

The next evening he set up the rig. But he clasped his hands as if he were entreating her, "If you change your mind, we'll take this rig out of here and it will cost you nothing. I just hate to see you do this! You'll be disappointed, and I'll have to charge you for it."

"The further this goes," Lorraine reassured him, "the more I believe God is going to give me a well, and you are going to be the instrument to get it for me."

The next morning, the driller arrived. He still felt compelled to say, "This is it! You still have a chance to say no. It will save you at least $1,500 or maybe more."

"Let's go for it!" was Lorraine's response.

100 feet and no more

The equipment was fired up and the drilling began. Lorraine kept busy in the house. As the hours went by, she would go outside and check on the progress. Neighbors had gathered, since word had gotten out about the widow's risky decision. Based on past attempts at finding water, Lorraine possibly was foolishly throwing away her money. She emerged from the house and asked, "How deep are you?"

At 77 feet, the driller told Lorraine, "There's no sign of water. I'll go no more than 100 feet. Then I'm going to stop."

Lorraine went back in the house and prayed, "Lord, I don't know if I got the message all wrong. But I really do believe you want to give me a well. He said he'd go no more than 100 feet. Should I insist he dig deeper?"

A few minutes later, Lorraine walked out into the yard. She noticed the driller holding something in his hands. Gravel and muddy water! "Lady, you've got your well!" In the time Lorraine stepped into the house, at 77 feet, the water gushed in! "This is a wonderful well!" the driller said excitedly. "There's enough for the whole neighborhood. You can water your lawn … do whatever you want. You're wealthy in water!"

The pumping continued (at 20 gallons a minute), filtering out all the dirt, until what came out was sweet, clean water. Since the children were at the church for Vacation Bible School, Lorraine knew just where to head with the first offering of water. Everyone rejoiced with the woman who prayed for water.

A few days later, a woman a couple of houses away asked Lorraine if she thought she should drill for water, too. Lorraine's response was, "God loves you the same as he does me!" The woman hired the same driller and hit water, too. The same happened for another neighbor.

"I imagine the water was there all the time," Lorraine said, "but God wanted to show his power to the driller and increase my faith at the same time. I'm sure that day in my yard is something he'll never forget. I sure haven't. It reinforces God's promise to me in Hebrews 13:5: '… I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.'"

© 1997 Christianity Today International/Christian Reader magazine
http://www.christianitytoday.com
September/October 1997.

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