I love how God intervenes in my day. I have been trying to work on a writing for this blog. I came to a complete standstill. This morning, God sat Paulette down beside me for worship service. We have never sat together. Today, we did. Before service we began to talk about loss. How it never completely goes away. We learn to accept it and go on, with the assurance that separation from those we love is not permanent. Then pastor, mentioned vessels…Clay vessels. I started to think about clay vessels. We are all born to carry something. We have a choice as to what we carry. We can carry bitterness, anger, jealousy, defeat, persecution, poverty and despair, or we can carry hope, joy, victory, and well being no matter what our vessel has been through. The ideal purpose of the clay worked by the master potter is to carry the love of Christ. Witness to others on His behalf. Share His love.
As I sat looking about my church family, I realized that some of the best vessels for carrying that love, are those who have been broken. Those who have deep cracks from living life. Unspeakable pain from loss and situations that try to take our sanity and peace. Suddenly, I began to see, that it is those vessels, the cracked and broken ones, that give off the most beautiful light.
The vessel that sits undesturbed is kinda plain. Nothing about that pot really stands out. Nothing draws our eye to it. It is just a clay pot. I am reminded once again of an old clay pot that lay in the backyard of my grandmother’s home, well over sixty-five years ago. It started out beautiful. I don’t recall what was planted in it at first as it sat there beautiful, new and untouched by weather or hard times. At some point over the years, something happened to break it. It sank down into the soil and leaned to one side. There was a morning glory vine growing nearby, along the white picket fence. The vine wandered out and found its way into this broken pot, completely leaned over and touched by time. So beautiful laying there. Would not hold water or anything else but it surely did make a beautiful thing to behold wrapped in morning glory blooms.
Thinking about that broken vessel, let us think about what can damage our vessels. Loss of loved ones, for me at least, is at the top. Nothing compares to that. Nothing can touch and break the heart so deeply. Years later, we still replay over in our mind those last words, those last moments, those last prayers. Like that broken clay pot, what has happened on the inside is reflected on the exterior. We become weathered a bit. Brokeness travels across the heart. A story begins. I say over and over that each of us has a story. Some may be really awesome with one victory after another, but I dare say, somewhere, sometime, brokeness came or will come and leave its mark. What does God want us to do with that broken vessel that we reside in? That cracked and weathered shelter. What purpose can a broken vessel serve?
It serves hope. It shows that life can be renewed. It proves that new beauty can rise from within. That light can filter out through the cracks and light a dark world. A testimony of survival. A resurgence from the heap of ashes that our enemy hoped would be our future. Cracks from financial burdens, health issues, depression, broken relationships, separation and sorrow reborn as the filtered light of Jesus. He was broken for our sins. He suffered loss. He left a heavenly home to come down here and repair a break between humanity and God, because of sin. He understands about broken things. He remakes us into new repurposed vessels. Those who are suffering need to be able to look around and see the light coming from those who have been broken and yet been repurposed to live again. To spread the news. The earth shaking news! No matter what you have been through, what you are facing or going through this minute, God is there. He has his potter’s hands all over our lives, remodeling, healing and pushing us out to live another day, so we can tell someone about the unending grace, love and forgiveness of Christ. Let your light shine today. Someone close by needs to see it. Thank you Paulette. ?
~ Scripture For Today~
Isaiah 64:8
8 But now, O Lord, You are our Father, We are the clay, and You our potter; And all of us are the work of Your hand. (NASB)
Jeremiah 18:3-4
3 Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something on the wheel. 4 But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make. (NASB)
2 Corinthians 4:7
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; 8 we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. (NASB)
~Prayer For Today~
Hello Father! Thank You for taking us in Your hands and repurposing the brokeness into vessels with a future. Vessels with a story. Vessels with renewed life. Thank You for sending Jesus to be broken so that we can be restored unto new life. We pray for all those who are hurting today. We pray for restoration and renewing of their broken spirits. We pray they rise up in the hope that knowing Jesus brings. Forgive us of our sins. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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