Sing to the Well

Then Israel sang this song:
“Spring up, O well!
Sing about it,
about the well that the princes dug,
that the nobles of the people sank —
the nobles with scepters and staffs.” (Numbers 21:17-18, NIV)

Israel gritched and griped,
grumbling of bad water,
slow flowing water,
lack of water, dried-up wells.
Israel rebelled, revolted,
kicked against, defied God.
But when they ceased to quarrel,
when they sang to the dry well,
water flowed.

I’ve gritched and griped,
grumbled of bad luck,
of miracles falling short,
lacking glory. I’ve rebelled,
kicked against God,
tried to do it myself,
believed I could do better.
When I sang of joy, feeling none,
when I accepted good,
blessings flowed.

A Cloud of Witnesses