The pottery place truly hates to see me coming…
The times I’ve strolled in, chosen my 10386465th mug to paint, and begun the process it starts out fine. I start with the base coat, prime it up real nice. And then I begin applying the color I chose.
The Pottery Place provides a guide to show you how many coats to apply to achieve a desired darkness of the paint. I somehow tend to think I know more than the experts, and always apply too much or not enough paint. Weeks later when I receive my “masterpiece,” it is obvious I should have listened…
Another tendency I have when it comes to painting my mugs is that I tend to finish quickly. I accomplish the design I wanted before everyone else is finished, and so I begin to add little details. I start experimenting and adding things to my design, and by the time it is over I have botched it completely. I stare at my mug thinking, “Ugh! Why didn’t I just leave it alone?”
I know what you’re thinking - why am I telling you this?
I out my horrendous pottery painting skills to paint you a picture (no pun intended) of what I think we tend to do with our life.
We stroll into situations with a clear image in our mind of how it should look, feel, and play out. As we begin to experience things and see them going a certain way, we begin to do what we think is best. We ignore advice, we tell God, “no thanks, I want to do it this way,” we refuse to remove our hands from the situation.
I read this scripture this week,
“The Lord gave a message to Jeremiah, ‘Go down to the potter’s shop and I will speak to you there.’ So I did as he told me and found the potter working at his wheel. But the jar he was making did not turn out as he hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over.
Then the Lord said, ‘O Israel, can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand.” - Jeremiah 18:1-6
It brought me back to the many mugs I’ve painted - the victims of my impatience, my frustration with my own capabilities, and my stubborn belief that I know best.
My life is often the victim of the same.
But this verse reminds me of a beautiful truth.
That (thankfully for me based on my Pottery Place resume),
I am not the potter of my life.
I have the honor of being the clay. And no matter how many times I mess up, I miss the mark, or my life just simply doesn’t turn out as I hoped, God reshapes it into something even better than before.
Maybe you’re tired…
Tired of trying to force things to happen.
Tired of regretting choices you made in haste.
Tired of feeling the pressure to make it all go right the first time.
If that’s you, then it’s time to stop trying to be the potter, and learn to love being the clay.
While it doesn’t feel good in the moment to be reformed and reshaped, how wonderful is it to know it is even possible? How grateful we should be that the pieces of our life, and of us that have chipped edges and uneven places, God can repurpose into a masterpiece.
I love in the book of Isaiah that we see this analogy again, but in a statement of acknowledgement and faith,
“Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.” - Isaiah 64:8
We do not have to be limited to the strength of our own hands. In fact, the strongest thing we can do is open those hands and allow God to have control.
Whatever the situation, whatever the outcome, we are the work of His hand. A God who works all things together for the good of those called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).
My friend, hear this loving advice…
Step back from the potter’s wheel of your life. It’s going to be tough, and it will require you to be uncomfortable at times, but it will be worth it.
Here’s to being the clay, and to trusting God with it all.
Coming up on The True North Podcast…
This month is a special, never before seen series on The True North Podcast. It’s Feature Fall! I’ve had the privilege of making so many amazing connections via social media through this ministry, and I’ve heard testimonies I simply MUST share with you.
Throughout the month of October, each week will feature a new guest. Without giving too much away, out first episode will be covering the topic, “Is It God, or Is It Me? How to Recognize God’s Voice Above Your Own” and I promise, you do NOT want to miss it.
Subscribe to the show now to receive alerts as soon as the episodes drop!
Have a great rest of your week and thanks for being here!
Love, Mykah (and Nimbus)
