I have been too lazy to jot down notes, but today I am compelled to do so. I was blessed to attend a testimonial event by Rachel Norris. She demonstrated how we Christians are like clay in the potter's hand.
She started with a piece of clay: pressing, turning, and flipping. Then she described how important it is to center the piece on the potter's wheel. Pulling and shaping the clay, she then had a beautiful pitcher standing in front of her; she shaped the mouth piece and added the handle. "The pitcher needs to be baked in fire to become a useful piece," she explained, then she smashed the beutiful piece into a lump...
She started sharing her story. The youngest kid of 6 of a missionary couple born in HK. Learned about the bible and attended church, but never took the meaning. Saw no difference in the lives of the people in the family, church, or the world. Very rebellious. After graduating from high school in HK, she decided to back packed to Europe with a friend, thinking never to return to the family because she wanted freedom. Eventually ended up in Denton, Tx, joining her sister. Was raped, got pregnant, and had an abortion at a young age. Wanted to do everything opposite to her parents' will. Finally gave in to go back to college after working as a waitress for a year. Met a charming guy in college. Knew there were problems with the guy, but married him anyway at the age of 21. They moved to upstate NY. She always wanted to make things look peaceful from the outside. Her husband could get angry very easily, was addicted to pornography, and was violent. She bore all that until she couldn't handle them any more. At one point, she didn't eat nor bathe because of her dispaired life. Then she saw a book by her bedside, Billy Graham's first book (forgot the name). Every page was speaking to her. She opened up herself, knelt down, and prayed...
God is the potter and we are the clay. A particular piece of clay is chosen by the potter to have his arts on...like us being chosen by God. Impurities have to be removed before starting the kneading. Without being smashed, pressed and turned, the trapped air in the clay would make it explode in the fire during the bake process. Even though it is a long process, we have to be rid of our badnesses. If we were the clay, we don't get to decide what to become. We are useless and ungly until the potter wants to make an art piece from us. God has His vision of what to make of us. We could never imagine the finished marvelous work until we let God's hand work on us. God might want us to be a beautiful serving bowl, but we want to be a pitcher. We are not happy because we are not a pitcher but don't notice that we are a good-looking serving bowl! God could decide to rebuild us to be a salad plate before we are placed in fire to be set. If that happens, we then have to be kneaded again. It can be painful and despair being kneaded, turning from a beautiful serving bowl to a unrecognizable lump. But again God has His vision. Being centered on the potter wheel, the potter made a plate with a wide open edge. The plate was pinched. From the outside, it looks like cellulite. Looking from the top, it is a beautiful grape vine drawing decor on the plate...
The part that hit me the most was the rebuilding process. What a pity when I saw that the pitcher was torn down into a lump. The potter has put so much work into it, and it looked good in my eyes. Why would he want to destroy the work? Because He is all powerful, all knowing, and has a vision in His perspective. During that process, we will have to believe that God is in the works; He has a better plan for us. It is hard to adjust, but the trust, hope, and faith in Him will carry us through. Without kneading, it is impossible to build another piece of art work out of us. We should be glad that God has so many visions with us, shouldn't we? It is hard to overcome the emotions and attachments during the rebuild for sure though.
I didn't quite understand why when Pastor Stanley prays, sometimes he uses the word vessel, but today I finally got the picture!
Our heavenly Father, thank you for speaking to me through Rachel about the meaning of your vessel and how the vessel is built! Every time when I hear how You change people's lives like Rachel's boosts my faith. May I learn to be the clay in your hand and become the vessel of Your vision. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen!
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