Potter’s Wheel
Each of you should use whatever gifts you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.
1 Peter 4:10
Sometimes, God lets us see instantly see how using the gifts He has given us blesses others.
We all want spiritual gifting, but it is so important to remember: It’s not about us!
Sometimes it can bring tears to your eyes when you see a transformation taking place right in front of you.
And sometimes it’s just fun!
On Thursday, a dear woman whom I have gotten to know over the last few months texted me asking for prayer.
I had nothing.
Literally zip.
My brain was the dreaded spinning wheel on the computer.
Spinning…spinning…“What do I do? How do I respond?”
It was the second day of a water fast and my head was dizzy, I felt nauseous and shaky, and I really couldn’t make heads or tails of it.
I started to text back with the intention of saying I had nothing but would pray for her.
Instead, I texted about the potter:
“Doubt and fear creep in and so does impatience. We want things on our timing and it’s hard to wait on God’s timing. Just because it hasn’t happened YET does not mean it won’t happen. The potter works on the wheel with a blob of clay for a while before the piece takes shape. Strengthening the base and building as he goes. So does God with each of us...Let God continue to mold and shape you knowing that the work of art at the end will be worth all the time it took. ”
Her morning meditation had been almost verbatim:
“He is the ultimate craftsman, and we are his clay. He will not take us off the wheel until his fingers have molded us into those who really do believe and do not doubt.”
Whoa.
Mind. Blown.
I don’t work with clay so I don’t know where this image came from.
When I was a few months sober, I took an art class where you threw clay on a wheel and I loved it, but that was 25 years ago!
And I was awful at it!
My parents were the kind recipients to some mangled bowls I made that I had hoped would be a little taller and less bowl-like, but they turned out how they had turned out because I hadn’t the skills yet nor the eye, but I remember my teacher talking about building the base and pulling up.
Gently.
Pull up.
Push out..
Gently.
Pull.
I just wrote what I wrote, thinking “this is going to sound so corny and cliche but it’s what’s coming to mind.”
Send.
Feeling kind of sheepish if truth be told.
We don’t know why God gives us an image or a word that He does, but He knows.
And He uses it to build up His body of believers, especially in their moments of doubt.
And I’m just realizing…maybe it wasn’t her moment of doubt but mine as well.
Whoa again.
I doubted in my ability to pray for her and was worried what she might think of me, not trusting that God would provide the words of exhortation to build her up in faith.
God is working in this woman’s life in amazing ways and I can see it, but He’s also working in mine.
Both of us want to see our promises fulfilled…like right now.
It’s hard to wait, but He is building our bases right now. Putting people in place. Strengthening our faith. Shoring up our sides. Filling any gaps.
We will have beautiful stories to share with the rest of the world…one day.
I had just finished writing all about her, but I just had the lightbulb moment where I realized I had to go back and change “she” to “we.” “Her” to “our.”
We both have beautiful stories to tell today, but one day, it will be told differently to many more…
Her story is a work in progress. My story is a work in progress.
God is shaping and molding…strengthening and beautifying.
And all the while, God is letting us sit right beside one another, giving confirmation that He is with us in it.
I did not think I had anything to give and yet God used that one small word to help both of us.
We don’t have to “do” anything if we allow God to work through us.
As you can see, it doesn’t take much.
So my word of encouragement to you today: bring whatever gifts you have and use them to serve others, in whatever shape or size they come. It just might bless someone today or it might surprise you and bless you as well.
