In Well of Living Water: The Story of a Man who was God, retired educator Sonia Coldicutt has compiled a unique and compelling account of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ using her gift of storytelling and her deep love of the Scriptures.
The idea for a book was sparked decades ago when she surrendered her life to Christ and began writing short devotionals based on the gospels. Eventually, she saw the merit of starting at the beginning of Jesus’ life and continuing through the day of Pentecost after his ascension.
Each of her 24 chapters opens with an anecdote—some from her own experience and some fictional—which then segues into the retelling of a significant event in the life of Jesus. In every case, she draws readers into the gospel, the good news that shares the love of God for humanity through the sacrificial life and death of Jesus. We struggle with Mary and her unexpected pregnancy in “The Problem.” When Jesus goes missing in Jerusalem as a pre-teen, we feel the anxiety any parent would feel in “My Father’s House.” And we identify with compulsive and ashamed disciple Peter in “Before the Cock Crows.”
The book is well written and a pleasure to read, due to the author’s engaging voice and anecdotal style. Coldicutt includes study or discussion questions at the end of most chapters, encouraging readers to reinforce concepts that may have piqued their interest.
Unfortunately, the author’s overuse of all caps for emphasis (“Then it suddenly came into my mind that I WAS chosen and I was VERY SPECIAL”) and some occasional typos mar the otherwise delightful and engaging book.
That aside, Well of Living Water would make a worthy gift or addition to the personal library of students of the Bible or anyone curious about Jesus’ life or seeking an easy-to-read inspirational.
