A Pool Party Conversation

The Bethesda Connection

I was at a pool party talking with a woman in her 50s who was very active on social media. Because I was thinking about digital communication and how to publish for Brain Be Well LLC, I asked her a simple, hypothetical question: “Imagine I wanted to meet a woman from Bethesda, Maryland—how could I do that?”

With today’s technology, the answer seems obvious: send a message, start a video call, or connect instantly online. Distance is no longer the barrier it once was. Then came the surprising moment. She looked up and said, “I’m from Bethesda, Maryland.” That small answer captured exactly what Brain Be Well LLC is meant to create: simple, direct connection.

When Jesus asked the man at the Pool of Bethesda, “Wilt thou be made whole?” the story in John 5 became, for me, a lesson about response and action. As I read the chapter slowly, I noticed how much of it turns on two things: someone speaking truth and someone choosing to move. That is the pattern I want to bring into health and technology: speak clearly, then act. However, we can’t act upon everything we hear on-line so I developed the Power of 7 for Life framework, a tool that to reach others that want to live a healthy lifestyle. 

As we sat in the lounge chairs, I asked whether she had heard the story of the Pool of Bethesda in the Bible. In St. John, Chapter 5 it describes five porches where many people gathered around the water, waiting. I have heard also compared to the “modern-day church” where nothing happens—no healing, no miracles, only people waiting.

That miracle at the Pool happened in a different time, but I believe the Spirit now works within us. The waters are troubled from within. These porches can become active pools. We are not meant to sit around waiting for an angel and shout, “Jump!” Yes, people still look for divine intervention, but the question is whether we are willing to move when the Spirit speaks?

What John 5 Means Today

In John 5, it tells of the man who had been waiting for 38 years, convinced at this point, he needed someone else to place him in the water at the right moment and there was no one to help. That mindset—“I cannot move unless someone moves me”—is real, and it can trap people. But that day there were two active participants: Jesus and the man.

Jesus asked the right question and then gave a command that required a response: “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” That is the pattern I want you to remember: listen, decide, and act. Ask yourself, “Am I waiting on the porch, or am I responding to Jesus?” God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. God gave you a brain—use it.

Technology, Connection, and Action

Technology can surround us with connection and still leave us feeling alone when it is time to act. At the Pool of Bethesda, action came from two places: Jesus spoke, and the man responded. We cannot sit for years waiting for someone else to tell us what to do. Jesus’ question puts responsibility back in our lap: Do you want to be made whole, and are you willing?

Call to Action

I have had moments like that—times when I heard Jesus say, “Get up and walk.” That is why I named my LLC Brain Be Well. The message is simple: do not depend on others to fix what you are called to steward. Take responsibility for your brain health and your next step.

In verse 15, the Bible says the man departed—walking after 38 years—and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. That created conflict. The authorities had a serious problem with Jesus’ healing and began to oppose Him. Reading the entire chapter of John 5 changed how I understand the gift of healing and why it matters to hear God and to act.

When Healing Challenges the Status Quo

What happened next in John 5 is something we all need to notice. When the man walked and told the Jews what had happened, everything changed. The establishment of that day—the authorities and leaders—were opposed. They reacted strongly to both the man and his healing. Jesus responded.

As a child, I was told to believe that miracles, signs, and wonders no longer happen. But John 5:38 offers a different warning: “And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.” I believe unbelief is at the root of the problem. Yet I thank God that the brain operates beneath conscious thought, working deeply and seeking the deep things of God. The limbic area of our brains has shown that it can process the known and the unknown.

If you feel stuck, if you have given up, or if you are waiting for someone else to help you reach your optimum health, tell yourself: Brain Be Well.

Please stop depending on others to do the work only you can begin. Take responsibility for your own brain health. To help you start, I have created a brain health video: The Power of 7 for Life. In the seven areas of life, we Listen for truth, we Decide to respond, and we Take the next faithful step.