The thing about potters and their clay is that it’s all about relationship. A little pinch here and a fledgling pot becomes something entirely different. A little more pressure or a repositioning of the potter’s hands on the ever-spinning vessel and the clay takes on a new shape. Hold a knife to the still-soft creation and spirals cut into the body like a river through the soft earth. Relationship. No pot without the potter, no need for the potter without the pot.
And so as we circle around to begin each day anew, we must ask ourselves: are we open to the touch of the potter? Do we allow ourselves to be shaped — manipulated — by the One who made us and is continuing to make us? Are we willing to surrender our self-conceived idea of purpose and “shape” to the will of the master artisan who knows us better than we know ourselves? Are we willing to say, “yes, I thought I was going to be this…but perhaps I am being changed and I am become something else?”
Ask yourself in silence: All the questions above!
Congratulations to my friend and loyal reader Kathleen Matson of Massachusetts, who has just launched her own blog of daily reflections! Check out her site, Heavenly Light.
4 comments On Today’s Word: Clay
Beautiful reflection, Steve! Thank you for sharing it with me. Love your photo and your blog!
Marian
Always, always, Steve, thought provoking, beautiful words. As I continue to be changed by the Master Potter, I am humbled by the unexpected twists and turns, even the cuts, that make me who I am. And to think, no matter who we are – how old, what we do, our station in life – the process is on going! Awesome and a little scary at the same time!
Thank you for the inspiration all these years and the congrats!
God bless you,
Kathleen
Thanks, Kathleen. And on and on it goes…
Thanks, Marian, and thanks for your inspiration for this particular reflection. More importantly, thanks for the inspiration and support you give to many.