Back To The Potter's House

In my last entry I talked about some of the process of clay moving from a raw for m to the potter’s wheel. The last step was the potter placing the clay on the shelf to shrivel and dry.

After watching the next step, the outside viewer would say that the drying time seems pointless. Once the clay has dried, the potter rehydrates it with fresh clean water. Prior to the “drying”, the clay was full of impure and dirty water. The potter wants to use his water to refresh the clay beyond what it was before the drying so that it will be usable. This is done by crushing the clay and putting the pieces into a container and filling the container with water. Again the clay waits. At this point the clay might look around and see the potter working a piece of clay on the wheel and wonders, “Why does he get to be on the wheel and I have to sit here in this bucket?” What the clay fails to recognize is that the clay on the wheel went through the same process and is just in a different place in its journey with the potter.

Once the clay has been rehydrated, it is worked by the potter in a process called wedging. Wedging involves pressure and movement of the clay in ways that to the clay I am sure are very uncomfortable. This is done to remove all of the air bubbles from the clay that would mar the piece if not done. This marring could be done in two ways. First, the clay might not respond correctly to the hands of the potter while on the wheel. The second scenario is even worse. Having been completed and placed in the fire to harden into a useful piece, the air in the pocket would expand as the piece heats and shatter the area of the piece, or worse yet, maybe the entire piece. Because of this possibility the potter works carefully and continuously to remove any bubbles that exist.

You may be wondering where the bubbles come from. To explain this we have to understand what clay is. Clay is essentially rotten mud. Decaying compost. As the organic matter decomposes gas pockets are created.

What stage are you in? Often I find areas of my life in different stages. Are you longing to be filled with living water? Are you looking around, seeing those close to you on the wheel and wishing to be there too?

The world that we live in, and the enemy, constantly communicate to us that we are dirt and unworthy. The next time that this is whispered into the deepest part of your heart, remember that we are called to not only be dirt, but mud…and rotten mud at that.

MT