Trimming the Extra and Entering the Fire

When the piece is complete the Potter removes it from the wheel. This is done by sliding a piece of wire under to piece to “cut” it from the wheel. After drying on a shelf for a day or two, the Potter cuts away all of the excess clay from the bottom of the piece. At this time the Potter places His mark, or signature, on the piece to identify the piece as His creation. It is then placed on the shelf for sometimes weeks at a time to slowly dry and become what is called greenware. This means that the piece can be handled lightly but still needs to be fired to harden.

In reality we, as clay, can choose at anytime to remove ourselves from the Potter’s wheel.
We can decide that the road is too difficult and give up on His plan for us. In doing so, we will become nothing more than an old, dry, useless lump of clay. In addition, though we can not lose our relationship with the Potter and our eternity remains sealed, we will forfeit our fellowship with Him and never receive the Potter’s mark on our lives as a master creation.

After the vessel is thoroughly dry, it is placed into the kiln to be heated. For this firing, the bisque firing, the clay is heated to an uncomfortable 1700 degrees Fahrenheit over 24 hours. Again, the clay can decide at this point that it does not want to enter the fire. However, not going through the fire means only one thing. Without the fire the clay will rehydrate as soon as liquid of any kind is placed on or in it. It is not a useful vessel yet.

After being fired the first time, many vessels are done. Earthen ware flower pots at this point are complete. Most vessels, however, must be glazed and fired again, at a temperature of 2400 degrees Fahrenheit, in order to seal there porous surfaces. By doing this that are made able to serve either liquid or food.

The fires are not fun. They are not comfortable. But they are necessary in order to be useful in the Potter’s service. Some of you may be in the fire right now. You may see that you are about to enter into the fire. We do not choose when we enter the fire. Oh we may get ourselves into hot water from time to time due to our decisions, but only the Potter determines when a vessel enters into the holy fire. However, rest assured that unlike an earthly potter, our Potter does not place us into the fire and walk away.

Daniel 3:24-25 (New International Version)
24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, "Weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?" They replied, "Certainly, O king."
25 He said, "Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods."

Just like in the book of Daniel, He remains with us as we go through the firing.

MT

Higher Ground

Well, it does seem very strange to me that lately God has been speaking to me through songs, but it is happening all the same. So, I guess I will be writing again about music. A few days ago in my morning quiet time, the chorus of an old hymn came to me as I was praying for a dear friend. I remember singing the song as a child and thinking that it was talking about a person going to live in heaven. Funny, how we often sing things without paying attention to the words. Now, after reading the words in my hymnal, I realize that the song is about daily drawing closer to him.

Here are the words to the hymn and my prayer today:

V1 I'm pressing on the upward way,
New heights I'm gaining every day
Still praying as I onward bound,
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground

Lord, grant me the strength to continue to journey with you each day. I know You have so much You want to teach me. I am humbling myself, and I desire to learn. I am drawing close to you because in Your perfect will I find peace.

V2 My heart has no desire to stay
Where doubts arise and fears dismay
Tho some may dwell where these abound,
My prayer, my aim is higher ground.

Father, please erase doubt and fear from my heart. I choose to trust You. I am following where You lead no matter where the journey takes me.

V3 I want to live above the world
Tho Satan's darts at me are hurled;
For faith has caught the joyful sound
The song of saints on higher ground.

Jesus, I know that you are the conqueror. You are my shield. You give me the strength to stand up under attack. By faith, I choose to have joy each day in my circumstances.

V4 I want to scale the utmost height
And catch a gleam of glory bright
But still I'll pray till heaven I've found,
Lord, lead me on to higher ground

Lord, I confess I wish life were easy. I do often long to simply enjoy heaven, but I am committed to this life, and to be faithful in service to you. Lead me this day in trusting You.

C - Lord lift me up and let me stand
By faith, on heaven's table - land
A higher plane than I have found
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.

Father, hold me. I do not desire to stand on my own. By faith, I continue this journey as You lead and direct. Lord, plant my feet each day on the higher ground you have.

Learning to trust Him by drawing close,
AT

True Love!

On a Saturday 11 years ago this date, we were happily wed. We are honored to be at this place in life. God has truly blessed. We look forward to the many years and memories to come. A special thanks to our parents and those of you who have set before us wonderful examples of marriage and challenged us to continue to grow.

MT & AT

The Throne Room

Yes, I am going to do a little potty talk today. God brought to mind a conversation that I had with the Women’s Ministry Director at our church a while back and for some crazy reason I feel compelled to share.

I have heard it said many times that a person needs to have a “prayer closet” or someplace specific that they retreat to in-order to spend quality time with God. Well, I never thought I had a specific place, until recently when I began recalling a few choice times that I know God was speaking to me.

The day after I graduated from High School, my parents put me on a plane for a summer mission trip to Honduras. It was one of the best experiences of my life, but the beginning was a bit rough. We flew an American airline into the country, but to travel within the country we were at the mercy of Honduran air-travel. On the middle leg of our journey to the interior, we encountered a delay and had to find a place to stay/eat/etc. for a few days. Well, long story, somehow I contracted some form of amebas, and I was sick to say the least. Scared, hurting and wishing to be home, I spent many hours alone in “the throne room” of my hotel. At some point, when I was in a half conscience state, I physically felt God hold me and whisper to me His love. This is where I was….totally helpless in need of the only one who could heal me.

About eight years ago, I was in a very lonely and difficult place struggling with infertility. Matt & I had gone through several miscarriages and failed procedures and were facing invetro-fertilization. We were both very scared. At the same time, our church had been going through a large building campaign for a new children’s facility. As a church secretary, I was daily faced with the construction and the talk of the new children’s program. I know many of you have faced similar and even more difficult situations, so you can understand how my heart was torn and ached. The week the building was officially complete the secretaries were given an “official” walk through. Strangely, I wandered into the girl’s room and stared at the little potties. Who would have thought something like small toilets would be my undoing, but literally I crumpled! I cried out to God to let this cup pass from me. It was at that time I clearly heard Him, as if it was audible, say that I need only to surrender and trust Him. This is where I was…totally helpless in need of the only one who could provide a miracle.

A few years later, I was expecting my daughter, Grace. It was a very difficult pregnancy. I was hospitalized several times, and when I was at home I was still hooked to pumps and IVs. I can’t tell you how many hours…days…I spent on the cold floor of my master “throne room”. It was the only place I felt relief. William was just over a year old and before Matt would leave for work each day, he would set us up with snacks, pillows for naps, books & toys, the phone, etc. It is humorous now, but at the time it seemed daunting. This is where I was…totally helpless in need of the only one who could give me the grace & strength I needed each day to survive.

Almost four years ago, I was faced with a cancer scare which then led into several years of a strange illness. Countless times I found myself retreating to cold tile. Strange how God used this time to teach me so many things and to truly grow and bond our family. It is amazing to me how getting to such a vulnerable humbling place brought about strength and confidence. This is where I was…totally helpless in need of the only one who could give me (us) wisdom.

This brings me to the last two years. Boy, it seems like God has us on a crazy journey. In some ways it seems like we have had one change after another and the time has flown by, but on a day to day basis it seems as if I am going to go crazy from waiting for God’s next step. For the last 10 months, we have been living with my parents. God has truly covered the situation and things could not be better; however, we all struggle with times of simply wanting to be alone. I think we are all thankful for long showers where we can cut out the world around us. Amazing that these are the times when God begins to speak. This is where I am…totally helpless in need of the only one who knows the future, can show us our next step, can provide a miracle, give us grace & strength and grant us wisdom.

So, does a person need to have a “prayer closet” or someplace specific that they retreat to in-order to spend quality time with God? Well, I can see the benefits on a daily basis, but I also know that when God wants to get to our hearts, He speaks to us in the places where we choose to be vulnerable, the places where we humble ourselves, and the places where we earnestly seek him. For you maybe it is a dark closet…for me…well, I guess I need to spend more time in the Throne Room!

Seeking Him Today,
AT

Clean Peanut Butter Jar

In my last post I spoke of the reality that the Potter made each of us according to His purpose, and that we should serve as we are called.

When I was younger, the pastor at the church my family attended told a story about a day when every dish in His home seemed to be dirty. All of the fine crystal, plastic cups, and every glass in the house was dirty. He discovered this when He came in from cutting the grass. He talked about being thirstier than he could ever remember being in his life, but alas no cups were in the cupboard. At this point in the story, I must confess, I was thinking what some of you may be thinking. Every kid that has ever had to get a drink realizes that two hands make a darn good cup, but he said he looked on the top shelf and saw an empty, but clean, peanut butter jar. He talked about using that jar as a cup to meet the need that he had at that time because all of the dishes made for that purpose were dirty.

Our Father is the same way. Though God calls each of us to a particular service for Him, we are all called to use the gifts that He has placed in us to His glory. You may not be the most eloquent speaker, but you are called to share your story with those around you. You may not be great at service, but you can serve dinner at a soup kitchen and tell each person that comes through the line that Jesus loves them. We are all called from time to time to be a clean peanut butter jar to the glory of God.

MT

Beautiful and Useful Vessels

Isaiah 45:9"Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker, to him who is but a potsherd among the potsherds on the ground. Does the clay say to the potter, 'What are you making?' Does your work say, 'He has no hands'?”

Who chooses what type of vessel the clay will become? Of course it is the potter.

I once saw a skit where a child was about to be “born” and asked God to give her a bubbly personality…and He said no. She was to be introverted because that was how He wanted to use her for His glory.

Have you ever asked God the change you into what you wanted to be so that you could “serve Him more faithfully”??? I know I have. Reality is that He made us into the vessel that He could best use.

There are several forms that a vessel can take, platters have wide mouth and do not hide what they are called upon to showcase. In God’s service, pastors who proclaim the truth might take this form. On the other hand a wise teacher may take the form of a gravy boat who pours out the goodness that has been poured into them at the proper time. Another person may take the form of a cup that brings the living water to a dry and thirsty people such as missionary.

You may be beautiful and I am plain. You may be tall and slender in His service as a bud vase that showcases the beauty of the Lilly of the Valley. I, on the other hand am a plain service piece.

The point is that we are all important to the Potter for the purpose for which He made us. We are all called to serve faithfully the one who created us for His glory.

MT

The pressure on the wheel

Matthew 23:25"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.

I Samual 16:7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

Did you know that any potter can make a beautiful pot? All that the potter has to do with the clay is press from the outside of the clay. By doing this the potter shapes what the piece is to eventually look like. There is a problem that arises in doing this. When placed into the kiln for firing, the piece literally goes to pieces. It blows up! Often this not only destroys the piece but often many of the vessels around it.

The reason for this self destruction is that the piece has trapped moisture within it that eventually destroys it in an effort to escape when heated. Quite literally, the piece is full of itself.

In order for a piece to avoid this result, is for the potter to hollow it out and place His hand within the piece to place pressure on the clay from the inside to equal the pressure being placed on it from the outside. In this way the potter supports the clay on the inside of the piece against the pressure of the outside world.

In the same way, we, as jars of clay, can be made to look good from the outside observer and yet remain full of ourselves rather than full of the hand of the potter. The Potter has placed a pressure maker (read Holy Spirit) to not only place pressure within us in the form of conviction to do right, but also support us against the pressure of the world around us.

We pots must constantly submit ourselves to the potter, who lovingly pushes us to be beautiful, useful vessels.

In what area are you allowing the pressure of the world around you to determine the shape of the vessel you were called to become? In what areas can you recognize the Potter’s hand pushing you from within to stand up against those pressures?

MT