Life is full of surprises.......my friend Brad, who made this beautiful pot, only recently discovered the joy of moulding clay into useful vessels and works of art. He has been so busy 'at the wheel' I cheekily asked him if it had become an obsession. He then shared with me how he had discovered this wonderful gift, but that's his story to tell.
I was reminded of a song from many years ago that was based on some Bible verses from Isaiah 64:8....... And yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We all are formed by your hand. Then of another similar passage.....But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over. Jeremiah 18:4 NLT.
Why was I thinking about the potter's wheel? Stuff happens! I have learned over the years that, for a follower of Jesus Christ, it usually happens for a purpose, and often it's for the purpose of making us more like Him. It's called sanctification. When 'stuff happened' for me recently it made me realise that I am still on the Potter's wheel. I needed a bit more moulding and shaping, a bit more growing and learning! It's not comfortable, but it's worth it if we allow ourselves to be shaped by the Master Potter.
I often say that we should wear a T shirt which reads "Be patient with me, God isn't finished with me yet". It's so true, we are all a work in progress and to remember that should enable us to be patient with ourselves and with others.
The good news is that we don't have to remain a 'wonky pot'! If we give God permission to reshape us, we can become something beautiful, something good......the words of a Bill Gaither song come to mind......
Something beautiful, something good
All my confusion, He understood.
All I had to offer Him was brokenness and strife
But He made something beautiful of my life.
Don't despair if you keep falling or failing. Allow the Potter to remould you and make you into something for His pleasure and glory. Be warned though, it's a lifelong process until we move to glory.
Prayer: Father God, help me to allow you to make me like you. Amen
