Treasure in Jars of Clay

I taught pottery today. Kylie is a really careful learner. She tries everything I throw at her. Well, not literally throw at her, but you know what I mean. We did pottery most of the lesson. She tried coil, slab and the pinch methods for making objects. It was so much fun to see someone else try art forms new to them. I love facilitating that!

So, tonight I have pictures of my demo pots for pinch pot, slab and for coil pot. We are also trying this in art docent this week in first grade, so it was fun to prepare, in a way, for that class as well. I think I like the pinch method the best. It is so much fun to get one's hands into some fresh clay and squeeze!

As I was forming my shapes, I was thinking about how God forms each one of us. We are His "jars of clay". He is the Master potter. He is the one who built our DNA, our gifts and talents, our desires and deepest longings. The color of our eyes. Our longing for relationship with Him. We are in His Potter's hands.

He is the one who puts us through or allows us to go through firey trials. He uses the trials to ultimately strengthen us, deepen our characters. Just like the light bouncing off the fired glaze; we can reflect God and His love, grace and faithfulness in our own lives after being "fired".

It's not all rosey, however. Sometimes, in this life of being a "clay jar", I have been broken or wounded or "beat up" or messed up big time, and yet, God picks up the pieces of me, the coils and slabs, and by using grace-filled people or His word, to love me, encourage me and help me to heal, I am restored and made better than before.

Your losses, my losses, expected or unexpected,  are huge times of brokenness. But God is there. Using real live fellow jars of clay. Just as marred and repaired as you and me. You can map out these people He has placed in your life to love you, me, and grace you and me. His word is also like the moist sponge on the cracked clay, and restores us.

And when we come to Him, in humility and love and brokenness, with our worship, He fills us with His presence. Now, His presence is our greatest treasure. In 2 Corinthians 4:7 we read about this treasure, but the treasure is kept in a jar of clay - us. That seems like an odd place for a treasure. But, there you have it. Or, have Him.