A
water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on
each end of a pole which he carried across his neck. One
of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot
was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water
at the end of the long walk from the stream to the
master's house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.
For a
full two years this went on daily, with the bearer
delivering only one and a half pots full of water in his
master's house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of
its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was
made. 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.
After
two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it
spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. "I
am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you."
"Why?"
asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?"
"I have
been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half
my load because this crack in my side causes water to
leak out all the way back to your master's house. Because
of my flaws, 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 took notice of 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 pot's side? That's because I have always known
about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted
flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day
while we walk back from the stream, you've watered them.
For two years 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."
Note from
Sharon
I often feel inadequate
and am saddened by my seemingly insignificant
contributions to the kingdom of God. And yet, the very
things that make me feel like such a failure are the
things that cause me to run to God and cling to Him. The
wrong choices, the weaknesses, and all the other things I
wish that I could change are the very things that give me
great compassion and empathy for others who are
struggling.
I think of the Apostle Paul's thorn in the flesh that he
prayed three times for God to remove--and God said,
"No... My grace is sufficient for you because my
strength is made perfect in your weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9)
Paul recognized that the thorn--whatever it was--was a
difficulty that God had placed in his life to keep him
from becoming arrogant about the great spiritual
revelations he had received. So when God allows thorns in
our lives -- whether disabilities or painful
circumstances -- always remember "Wherefore let them
that suffer according to the will of God commit the
keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a
faithful Creator."
1 Peter 4:19
We can be assured that when we dedicate our lives to
Jesus, he will use our strenths and our weaknesses, our
successes and our failures, for His glory and our eternal
good.
