January 24, 2007

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  A Cracked Pot

  A water bearer in India had two large pots.  The pots hung on opposite ends of a pole that he carried across his neck. One of the pots was perfect and one of the pots was cracked.  The perfect pot always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master's house, but the cracked pot always arrived only half full.

  The water bearer used the two pots every day, and every day he delivered only one and a half pots full of water to his master's house.  Of course, the perfect pot was proud to deliver a full portion of water.  It was proud that it was always able to accomplish all that it was designed to do.  But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do. The cracked pot thought itself to be a complete failure, and it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream.

  "I am ashamed of myself, and I want to tell you that I am sorry."

  "Why are you sorry?" asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?"

  "I can only deliver only half my load because this crack in my side lets half of the water leak out all the way back to your master's house. Because of my crack, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value from your efforts," the pot said.

  The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, "As we return to the master's house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path."  Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot noticed the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again it apologized to the bearer for its failure. 

  The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other perfect pot's side?  That's because I have always known about your crack, and I made good use of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we have walked back from the stream, you have watered them.  I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house."

  Each of us has our own unique flaws. We're all cracked pots. But if we will allow it, the Lord will use our flaws to grace His Father's table.  In God's great economy, nothing goes to waste.  As God calls you to the tasks He has appointed for you, don't be afraid of your flaws.  Acknowledge them, and allow Him to take advantage of them, and you, too, can be the cause of beauty in His pathway.  In our weakness we find His strength.

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