In the Hands of the Potter

But now, O LORD, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand.
Isaiah 64:8

Watching a potter at work always brings me back to realizing the work of God in my own life. He has not left me how I once was, but continues to mold and shape me. Over the past five or six years, I have watched Him change my heart and attitudes. He has taken away anger, selfishness, and unforgiveness. He is teaching me how to love unconditionally, to give without expecting anything in return, and to trust that He knows best. I have not arrived. He's still working on me but I am seeing changes. Sometimes the process is frightening, but only when I take my eyes off Him.

This afternoon I went looking for a photograph and found myself out in my husband's shop. At one point in time we planned to share a space and I moved my clay out of the dark, dank basement to a corner of the barn he had prepared for me. Things haven't worked out the way either of us had planned. I ended up taking a babysitting job and James ended up working in that particular barn more often than anticipated. The years have left a fine layer of dirt and sawdust everywhere. Hidden away in the drawer of a plastic organizer I found these pieces awaiting the fire. Maybe one day they will find their way into the kiln and be completed,... maybe.

I had to smile a little as I looked at them and recalled the words of the potter who visited our church on Sunday evening. Sometimes it seems that God has set us aside and forgotten us, but even in those times of waiting He has a purpose greater than we know. He is not finished with us but waiting for the right time to complete the next step in the process. I hope I can remember this when I feel set aside and forgotten. I pray I have the patience to wait for Him to finish what He has begun.