In The Potter's House

Upon our return to Zambia I began taking a pottery class near our house. I have always loved pottery and decided this would be very life-giving for me as a creative outlet. While it has enabled me to be creative, it has also been very instructive. Learning from a pottery class is also biblical, as the Lord makes several allusions to the potter and his craft in Scripture.

Of the four pottery steps I’ve learned so far, centering the clay, is the most crucial. This is done by throwing a lump of clay on the center of the potter’s wheel. After dripping water on the gray lump I press both hands on it while the wheel turns at full speed. For someone with strong upper arms this step is probably not so taxing. But for me it requires every ounce of concentration and pressure I can muster. The clay is considered centered when my hands on the clay stop wobbling and remain in a fixed position as the wheel turns. The trans-formation is almost magical—one minute my hands are shifting, the next they are staying in one place. If I go wrong on this step, I’ll end up with a distorted, unuseable vessel.

Our friend of 35 plus years, Chester, is known for his illustration in Sunday school class of being centered. He would draw the sun on a dry erase board. And around this he would place aspects of life “in orbit” around this planet~time, money, family, activities, hobbies, job, etc. The sun, the blazing center, is Christ. His point in centering one’s life on Christ is that it keeps all the other “planets” of life in their proper sphere. When the center is replaced by something other than Christ, then life is out of balance. Without proper centering, it wobbles and creates distortions. And we are unuseable to God.

The second most important lesson God has taught me is that He is the Great Potter and He has the right over the lump of clay, a person. After my teacher, Mr. Phiri, has had me work on a few pieces, he asks me what I would like to make~a bowl? Cup? Vase? I get to choose. Depending on what I want to make determines how I mold the clay. Do I press harder here? Is the side straight, do I need to push from the center? Is it wobbling too much?  Are the sides smooth? Do I need the plastic carving tool to take some off the bottom? I might need to cut the rim off a bit since it’s off kilter. Or, maybe I need to completely start over with this lump.

This brings me to the third lesson I’ve learned and it’s more of a praise than a lesson. I’ve fallen in love with how skillful the Potter is with His children. He knows just the right amount of pressure to apply. He holds His fingers steady in love as He shapes us. I’ve found when I have a stray finger that gets in the way, or if my nails aren’t trimmed, I can do a lot of damage to a piece. But God is careful and perfect in His wisdom. He knows exactly what He’s doing. If I was a lump of clay, I would be in a lot of pain—believe me, that clay gets a workout! Sometimes God causes His children discomfort and pain as He shapes them with loving hands. One day He will display the vessels He has created, vessels that will display His glory. And, if we know Him, we will share that glory.