I create pottery from stoneware clay and recently I made this bowl. While most often I know what I want it to be and it comes out close to the vision in my head (or even better), this one did not.
Sometime your hard work doesn't come out like you planned. It is lacking in color or something distorted in the firing, it's not what you envisioned and it's quite disappointing.
I'm a smidge stubborn and I might make a second one even and try to make it my vision again. What you can't see in the picture is a pink cast in the glaze. I am not crazy about pink.
This bowl, well. . . It's not my color choice. It's okay, just a little "off" for my taste. It doesn't happen often but when it does, I have a choice to make. Leave it alone or add some color and refire it. Either way, I will be satisfied in my decision. I pray over everything in my life, so I prayed over this last night and I know what I will do now.
I know people, (we all know people, maybe you are one?) who have trouble making decisions.
I was raised by a daddy that said, "make the best decision you can at the time, with the information you have. When you know better, you will do better." I've followed that thought process all my life. In other words, trust your decisions. Daddy and mama gave us confidence in their rearing and encouragement to trust our decisions. They presented us with a working example all our lives of decision making, by trusting in Jesus and make our decisions based on prayer and study of Gods word. I hope they knew how solid their example was because I've felt it all my life.
Like anyone else, I don't always make solid decisions~ I'm human and make mistakes. All the time, I make mistakes and missteps but I usually find in hindsight I did not trust where I should have been trusting at the time.
Have you ever lost sleep over a decision? Isn't life just like that? We have a decision to make and we fret over it, or we lose sleep thinking and pondering on it. Personally, I don't think that's what Jesus wants us to do. I believe, we come to him with our petitions in life and lay them down. Do you know someone or are someone who has a tough time with decisions? As a younger woman I didn't always trust my decisions and then looking back on life, I realize that was a time when I stepped away from trusting Jesus, yet again. See, that's the key. It's the entire answer, there isn't another one.
Matthew 11:28 says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest". This is suggesting we humble ourselves (admit where we were wrong, admit we can't do it alone, admit we are uncertain) and hand it over to the one who can. Jesus. Why do we make it so hard? Jesus is saying, let me bear that for you. Let me hold it and know what to do, how to handle the problem, give you solutions.
You may be thinking, but you are talking about a piece of pottery!?
Yes, and I trust Jesus with everything. There are no decisions with him that are too small or too large.
I find so many comparisons in life with Christ and my pottery. Are we not refined in the fire, just like the pot? It's a process of purification in life as in that kiln for my vessels. A human vessel is one who is willing to be used for Gods glory in their life.
We don't learn many life lessons when things are going great. It's when it all falls apart and we are on our face, not knowing which way to turn that we find the answers in Jesus. Scripture tells us when we don't even know what to pray, God intercedes through the Holy Spirit. I've known times when my only utterance was the word Jesus, over and over. God is always faithful.
I remember being younger and giving the Lord a problem, then taking it back (because somehow I thought I could do better) then giving it to Him again, taking it back again.
As I matured in Christ I have realized I can never solve the problems, I need him daily, sometime minute by minute.
I am reminded today of the love of my earthly father, he would have laid his life down for me at any time. How much more does the God of heaven and earth love me? My mind can't contain it.
Here's what I also know today, just like the bowl I made, I will be useful and serve a purpose. Unlike the bowl, I have a choice each day (free will) to reject Christ' urging through the Holy Spirit (even if it's uncomfortable) or accept the challenge set before me. It all comes back to trust.
You may be thinking, but you are talking about a piece of pottery!?
Yes, and I trust Jesus with everything. There are no decisions with him that are too small or too large.
I find so many comparisons in life with Christ and my pottery. Are we not refined in the fire, just like the pot? It's a process of purification in life as in that kiln for my vessels. A human vessel is one who is willing to be used for Gods glory in their life.
We don't learn many life lessons when things are going great. It's when it all falls apart and we are on our face, not knowing which way to turn that we find the answers in Jesus. Scripture tells us when we don't even know what to pray, God intercedes through the Holy Spirit. I've known times when my only utterance was the word Jesus, over and over. God is always faithful.
I remember being younger and giving the Lord a problem, then taking it back (because somehow I thought I could do better) then giving it to Him again, taking it back again.
As I matured in Christ I have realized I can never solve the problems, I need him daily, sometime minute by minute.
I am reminded today of the love of my earthly father, he would have laid his life down for me at any time. How much more does the God of heaven and earth love me? My mind can't contain it.
Here's what I also know today, just like the bowl I made, I will be useful and serve a purpose. Unlike the bowl, I have a choice each day (free will) to reject Christ' urging through the Holy Spirit (even if it's uncomfortable) or accept the challenge set before me. It all comes back to trust.
I will trust today and I hope you will too.
