I've been speaking for years about The Woman at the Well, yet this week an aha moment hit me.

For years, I'm sure she heard harshness disguised as advice.

Women I refer to as 'the oners' (those married only ONE time) often whisper, stare and avoid this broken girl, but this week God revealed another reality.

Let's crack open this story in the 4th chapter of John and try to visualize this girls life.

She was born, just like you and me, full of promise and hope. She was once a cute, chubby cheeked little baby, cooing, drooling and crawling. She probably had dreams of becoming a wife and mother. There were most likely women in her village that she emulated.

Yet, somewhere along the way her life was shattered. Maybe by a wrong choice but I suspect something or someone stripped away her value at a very early age.

I bet there were many attempts at finding a true friend over the years. Wounded women limp along with one arm reaching out and the other guarding the next attack.

It becomes easy to spot the ones who blatantly ridicule and badger, yet there is one that is more dangerous because of the disguise. The emotionally crippled fall prey to the upright finger-pointers.

If we've never had cancer, we shouldn't spew advice on how to survive it. If we've never lost a child, we shouldn't spit recommendations on how to 'get over it'. Likewise, if we've never been damaged by divorce, how can we speak into the dark places of a wounded heart?

This woman at the well needed what we all do, a loving arm, a listening ear, a fervent prayer and a finger pointing us to the Savior.