A year ago I moved to a small town in Missouri. It's a lovely small town situated right on the banks of the Mississippi River. I came to this town after accepting a position at the local hospital. I had never been in this part of Missouri before coming for my interview. I have lived in many places across the United States so I am familiar with being in unfamiliar surroundings. My sisters came to visit and help me get settled into my house. After hours of unpacking, we decided to head downtown and do a bit of exploring. To our delight, we stumbled across a pottery shop. The shelves were lined with beautiful objects. It was obvious that the pottery was created by an artist. An even better surprise was learning that the pottery was made on location! Customers could look through an open door or windows to catch a glimpse of the potter throwing clay in his workshop at the back of the store. What great care must a potter take to fashion a beautiful, useful object out of a lump of clay! It's no wonder the potter knows each piece intimately. I'd like to share a little story about another pottery shop...
Many years ago a potter was diligently at work creating a special vase. When the potter finished his masterpiece, he lovingly placed it on a shelf in his shop. The vase was beautiful, perfect and flawless. As with all the potter's pieces, it was also one of a kind, unique and made for a specific purpose. As the years rolled by, the little vase saw many things. The shop was a busy place with people coming and going. Sometimes it seemed like the potter had forgotten her, but he was always nearby. The potter cared deeply about the vase and always had his eye on her. On more than one occasion, something dreadful happened to the little vase. She had been knocked off her shelf more than once. Each time the potter would pick her up, brush her off and return her to her rightful place. The little vase was aware that each dreadful incident changed her. A scratch here, a chip there. Once she was sure her time was finished as she felt a deep break running the length of her being. She was so broken, so marred by cracks and crevices. With so many scars and flaws, how could she stay together? How could she stay in one piece? And what good was a vase so full of cracks and holes? The little vase had been on her shelf for many years. She had to admit it was kind of dusty, maybe even a bit dirty. But, it was her shelf. She was used to the dirt....she was uncomfortably , comfortable there. One day the little vase noticed that the potter had set a mirror on a shelf across the room. The vase noticed that when the potter looked in the mirror his loving reflection stared back. She liked seeing his reflection from across the room, but each time she saw it she felt so sad that she, his beautiful creation, had become such a broken, battered mess of a vase. Then one day the potter picked the vase up from her shelf. She thought he was just cleaning her off as he had done many times before. But this time was different! He was carrying her to the shelf by the mirror. The little vase saw her reflection in the potter's mirror and began to weep (as only a vase can do). She thought, "What an ugly vase I've become! If only those dreadful things hadn't happened to me. Who would ever want a useless, scarred vase like me? I'm so ashamed to have my potter see me this way.". The little vase had never felt worse. If only the potter could start over and make her again! The sad little vase sat on the shelf, trying not to see her tattered image in the potter's mirror. Then one day something unbelievable happened. There was a raging storm all around the pottery shop. The little vase was terrified! "Not again! I can't make it through another dreadful event! I am so weak.....I don't want to fall again!!! Potter, please help me!!!" Before she had finished speaking, she heard the potter beside her. He gently scooped her up, placed a candle inside the little vase and watched lovingly as light began to seep through every crack, crevice and broken bit The little vase was overwhelmed by the warmth and beauty of the potter's light. The vase looked into the potter's mirror....What! How could it be? What had happened??? What was once an ugly reflection now glowed with beautiful light! She smiled (as only a vase can do) as she saw the potter's smiling face staring at her from his mirror.
As you may have guessed, I am the little vase. Can you relate to parts of her story? If you've read my "About Me" section you know that I claim to have been a believer since I was a child. The purpose of my blog is not to debate theology, but rather to share things on my heart..things that I feel God has been teaching me. I know I had a distinctive encounter with Christ as a little girl. I can remember the church service, the dress I was wearing and walking up the aisle when the pastor asked if anyone wanted to make a decision to give their life to Christ. I also know that Christ has been near me throughout my life, regardless of my failures, flaws and dreadful incidents. I have many scars, many things that created a crack, chip or break: feelings of abandonment by a parent (crack), feelings of failure due to personal choices (crack), failed marriage (crack), rejection by someone you love (crack), problems with your children (crack), physical, sexual and verbal abuse (crack), another marriage failure (crack), financial ruin (crack), destroyed self-esteem (crack), feelings of never being quite enough (crack), the sense of 'who would ever want me' (crack).......Do you get the picture? And that is not an all-inclusive list! The things that created the cracks and scars in my life are different than those you may recognize. We all carry a pattern of scars as unique as our fingerprint or our DNA. Regardless of what caused the scars, the brokenness is REAL.
About eighteen months ago, I found myself in another raging storm. I was so broken, a complete wreck. Like always, I knew Jesus was near, but this time when I began to cry out for help I knew things had to change. Throughout my life, especially as an adult, I have always felt like I had to fix things. If I could be good enough, nice enough....if I would just compromise here or there....anything to keep the peace. Anything to feel loved and wanted. As the latest storm was ravaging my life, I could almost hear (as only a heart can do) Jesus asking me to finally go all in...100%. You have to understand...I had been in 50%, 75%, maybe even 90%, always wavering just short of the mark. But I had never truly trusted enough to completely let go. Like the vase, I was uncomfortably, comfortable on my dusty little shelf. If you have been hurt, deeply hurt, it can be hard to trust....even hard to trust the One who made you. Well........Jesus never disappoints!!! Since I agreed to give Him my all (complete surrender), Jesus has been allowing His light to illuminate and warm the corners of my battered and broken being. Slowly, but surely, His light is starting to penetrate the cracks and crevices left behind by my poor choices, the poor choices of others and life in general. You may be asking if a Christ-surrendered life means I will not experience more falls or failures resulting in new cracks and scars? The truth is a life surrendered to Christ does not mean life is all roses. Life is hard and people are people. But, I have an assurance that Jesus is with me, whatever I face. Who could know me better or love me more than the One who created me? I'm learning that only when His light is shining THROUGH me can I begin to see His reflection when I look in the mirror. As more light pours out, it provides light to those around me and, hopefully, points them toward the Potter.
So let me ask you....are you a broken, battered vase? If so, I know a Potter that can help and His specialty is turning broken things into beautiful, useful objects. You are not forgotten....
"I will praise thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well". Psalm 139:14 KJV
"...Behold , as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand". Jeremiah 18:6 KJV
Comments