What Do We Do When Life Doesn’t Turn Out How We Expected?
Last week, we followed a lump of clay through the hands of a potter.
We watched as the clay was pounded and kneaded, shaped and formed on the wheel, placed on the shelf to dry, and eventually fired in the kiln.
When the potter took the finished piece from the kiln, it was ready for its intended purpose.
But the potter wasn’t finished creating.
He decided he wanted another pot.
This one would be bigger and taller, able to accommodate the flowers bursting from his garden. He wanted it to complement the first pot while adding more contrast to the room with a different shape and color.
The potter began working on the second pot.
He pounded and kneaded the clay, removing the air pockets. Then he placed it on the wheel and began to shape it.
His hands worked the clay, adding pressure and water as he formed it. He opened the center, pulled the clay upward, carefully formed the walls, shaped the lip and smoothed the edges.
When he was satisfied with the shape, he lifted the pot from the wheel and placed it on the shelf waiting for it to dry.
Days passed.
When the pot was completely dry, the potter placed it in the kiln for firing.
After the firing was complete, he waited for the kiln to cool before carefully removing the pot.
It was beautiful.
It was exactly what he had envisioned.
He filled it with flowers from his garden and placed it in the room beside the first pot.
But one day, the second pot was accidentally fell over.
It fell hard.
And it broke.
The potter gathered the pieces.
He carefully examined what was left and began putting the pieces back together. Some pieces fit perfectly. Others required more work, a little sanding here and there to smooth some rough edges. He arranged the pieces so that a hole was right in the center.
The cracks from where the pot had broken created beautiful lines. The potter painted those cracks with gold paint and added some leaves, creating a vine that wound its way around the pot. The broken pieces had become part of its beauty.
When he was finished, the pot wasn’t exactly the same as it had been before.
There were places where the broken pieces had changed its appearance. But the potter didn’t see it as ruined.
The candle’s light shone through the places where the pot had been broken and repaired.
The pot had a new purpose.
And perhaps that’s something worth remembering.
Stay tuned for Part 3. There’s more to this story.
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