Cracked Pots

“But now, O Lord, you are our Father, we are the clay, and you are our potter, we are all the work of your hand.” ~ Is. 64:8

I just have to brag on Father for a bit. He sent me a love note this morning. Wrapped in a jar of clay, there it was. A note just for me to find.

I started my Saturday just like most Saturdays. Coffee in my white porcelain mug and slippers on my feet. Morning sunlight streaming in through the window as I sit on the couch. Just letting the minutes  s l o w l y  pass by. I’ve been thinking about cracked pots lately.

 

My Bible is laying open to 2 Cor. 4:7~ “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.”

It doesn't take much to see the cracks and flaws in me. My “shortcomings”. Everything I see in me that I would like to live without. The parts that remind me that I’m fragile. Unwanted exposure of frailty.

Maybe that’s why I delight and find such comfort in this verse. Jars of clay. They have a purpose. We have purpose. What’s so special about a simple vessel?

“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” ~ 2 Cor. 4:6

   

To hold hope. To carry the light and glory of God, our potter. “To show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us”, the cracked pots. There’s the purpose. Once I heard a speaker refer to “jars of clay” as cracked pots and it just stuck with me.

  

It’s never been about you and me anyway. “We are all the work of your (God’s) hand.” We are the clay.

Along the way in our life journey, whatever sin has caused our “cracks”, whether it was when we chose our will instead of God’s will, placed other “gods” above the one true God or just sought out our own selfish gain, our Father still calls us His own. We are His. And He uses us to bring Him glory. Flaws and all. He in us. The hope of glory. Our cracks of shame become cracks of beauty. Wanted exposure of glory. The light and glory of the One in us can now shine through us. To show that the surpassing power we carry belongs to God! How amazing is that. Grace.

So back to my Saturday: I decided to take a quick trip to my favorite thrift store. Now that I live so close I’ve really had to limit my visits per month. :) I had a couple items in mind that I was looking out for, but I always prefer being surprised with random finds. That’s just how I like it. God leaves me little love notes showing that He cares about me…down to the smallest of details and things that bring me joy.

With an already half full basket, I came across this little white jar on a middle shelf. I just loved how small it was and that it was white. I noticed a piece of paper rolled up inside, but it was taped so I laid it in my basket, for later discovery.

As I peeled back the tape at home and unfolded the paper, I sat at my table just amazed. Amazed at how God unfolds more of His love to me every day. How he wraps His great love around me and my “cracked” self.

 

The piece of paper inside the jar was worth more than the 50 cents I paid for the jar. Can we even compare God’s expressions of love for us to anything? It is truly astounding.

Father can use anything to get us to see that His love for us is real. It’s tangible.

It was no coincidence that my meditations of the morning connected with further truths in an afternoon thrift store find. It was God. He orchestrates everything. 

And when we see His power in us, changing us and molding us, suddenly our cracks don’t seem so bad after all. Actually they seem necessary. They show off what’s inside. Our hope. Our light. Our strength. God in all His glory. Nothing coming from us. All from Him.

From one cracked pot to another- be broken, surrendered and poured out for Him. That’s when we’re completely satisfied. Only then will His power SHINE.

Peace like a river

This is what the Lord says—
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
“I am the Lord your God,
who teaches you what is best for you,
who directs you in the way you should go.
If only you had paid attention to my commands,
your peace would have been like a river,
your well-being like the waves of the sea.

~Is. 48:17-18

A month ago, my brother and I went canoeing on the Auglaize River. I’d never been canoeing before and kind of had the itch to go all summer. Although we thought the river was going to be really low due to the lack of rain, we set off for an adventure. :)

What a great couple hours we had. Paddling downstream, we made our way through the twists and turns. If you ask both of us, we’d probably tell you one of our favorite parts was seeing a shallow spot ahead and knowing there was no way to avoid it. We’d chuckle a little as the bottom of our little voyager skidded along the pebbles. We’d stick our oars into ground and nudge ourselves forward or backwards until we were loose.

A fresh way of travel. Being carried along at the speed of the river’s current…and some help from Mr. Muscles. ;)

God carries us along through the twists and turns of life. Only He knows what’s coming around the bend of our journey. When we allow Him to hold us on the journey, there’s nothing to fear. When we want to take our “tomorrows” and circumstances into our own hands, we’re fighting against the current. A way not intended for abundant life.

My brother and I had never traveled that river before. We didn’t know what to expect besides what our guide told us before we left. “Keep going until you pass under five bridges. That’s when you’ll get out. Enjoy!” With that, we lowered our canoe into the water and said goodbye to the shore.

In Christ, we’re not promised an easy life. There will be valleys, struggles, temptations, disappointments, heartaches and pain. It’s easy to look at these situations as things that slow us down on our journey. Situations that hinder us from moving forward. Life will also be filled with moments of victory, mountain-top thrills, joy, and hope. In everything there is growth. In everything we can have PEACE. Taking us from where we were to someplace new. All the while, molding, shaping and growing us on the inside.

Peace.

“I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.” ~vs. 17

God is PEACE. He is our guide for life. He alone deserves that role. He is trustworthy and knows what is best for us. He directs us out of complete love.

And when we feel stuck, He is right there to show us a way out. When we’ve gone our own way, He is right there, patiently waiting for our “yes” to Him. He will pick us up and carry us in His arms of love.

“When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.” -Horatio G. Spafford

If peace is like a river it’s a powerful force. A river is not always gentle and calm. Life isn’t always gentle. But God’s peace carries us on. His peace doesn’t take away the unrelenting crazy currents, but is instead amidst the waves, twists and turns.

His peace. The peace that passes understanding. ~Phil. 4:7

Let that peace be your guard. Let Him be your guide on this journey called life.


“No one has ever seen this,
and no one has ever heard about it.
No one has ever imagined
what God has prepared for those who love him.” ~ 1 Cor. 2:9