Today, I was thinking. Yes, we all know that can lead to dangerous or creative events, when I think. I read a set of verses today:
"For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed."
2 Corinthians 4:6-9
Jars of clay. How God uses life to form us into this beautiful, finished product. How when He is making us and still forming us, he heals us and fixes all of our blemishes and imperfections. I've used the analogy, that I haven't been fired yet and I'm not a finished product, because we all know that God is not yet done with me.
I refuse to stop growing.
I refuse to just ask God for an easy life and let things roll off my back.
God knows and I know, even some of you know, that I have been down some rough roads in my life. We all have. We all experience pain, even Jesus did.
For a while, I used to think of myself as something that was imperfect, unwanted, and not beautiful. Not all of it recently.
I'm still not perfect, by all means. I have made plenty of mistakes this summer alone.
I sometimes feel unwanted/unneeded but not all the time and it usually quickly passes.
But through my rough roads of life, I had often thought myself to be broken, or 'cracked'
Whatever it was that I had experienced had hurt me, I had hurt me, others had hurt me and I couldn't be fixed.
There was nothing that anyone could do to fix me and that made people not want me.
In my mind I could see a pair of hands with clay caked on. Such gentle and loving hands, holding me (a jar of clay) ready to throw me away because I was broken and cracked. Imperfect and couldn't be used for holding dirt, or cookies or whatever I might have been made for, because of this long, ugly crack on the side of my jar.
But that's not what these verses say. And the thought that I had earlier thought when I read these made me smile.
I took the verse apart in my mind and tied little thoughts to it.
"For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ." (v. 6)
Okay, let's say that each of our hearts is a jar of clay. God puts his little tea-light candle (or one of those votive candles, whatever scent, whatever shape or size, it doesn't matter)...He takes His candle (because I like candles and light bulbs don't have the same affect), and he sets it inside your jar.
Now, let's say that your jar has a lid. So God decides he wants to put the lid on and, because He is God, He can and so He does. He put's the lid on and then what?
If the flame doesn't have air, it will eventually die away. If you put the lid on it, and there is no crack, then that means air will run out and poof. No flame!
Not only does the flame go out, but I forgot to mention that your jar was put in a dark corner or cupboard or something. (Just because this was what I was thinking at the time that I thought the thoughts, I thought ^_^ ).
BUT...if you have a crack in your pot, air can get through! Which means, your little candle light won't die out and, if God or someone decides to put the lid on your little jar of clay, light still shines through!
You see, we are made for a purpose. Maybe it's to store the cookies at Grandma's house. Maybe it's to hold the beautiful flowers that are picked from the garden. Maybe it's to hold a few trinkets of earthly things. Either way, you were made for a purpose (I like to think that my jar holds the chocolate chip cookies, but that's just me).
When you think you are cracked and broken and you aren't perfect, you don't think that God can use you for really anything, or you don't understand how he could with that big, giant ugly crack running down your once, and still beautiful facade...God has a better plan. He sticks a candle inside your little jar of clay, inside your heart and that crack, lets the light through. That little imperfection, that change in you that you thought was so ugly that no one would ever like...it shines such a beautiful light. And when your jar is sitting in a dark room, with that candle a flickering away inside. God's light shining through that one or many crack(s), guess what, people think that you are beautiful. Even more beautiful, because you have God's light and they can see it. They can see past the ugly scar, and they see God using you for somethings special
Sure, cookies, candy and flowers are beautiful, but if they are in a dark room, what's the point in having them if you can't see them in the first place. What is more special, is having God's light and knowing that no matter where you go, whether in a dark, dark corner or the brightest part of the world, you are shinging a light. God's light. What is more beautiful than that?
" But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us." (v.7)
"We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;( cool persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.(9)"
We all have been down some rough roads. We all have been hurt, we all have been down some dark, dark corners and sometimes it isn't pretty. We all have been criticized for that one crack, that one imperfection, how could we show God's love if we've been THERE? If we've done THAT?
But even though people do criticize and persecute you and point fingers and laugh, they will walk off. The one thing that we can count on...The gentle hands that grip your clay..those clay caked hands that hold you so gently, you. A pot, a jar of clay with that one imperfection, that one crack. He will never leave you. Your maker will not just throw you away. After working so hard on you, perfecting you. No, he's taking you over to his cabinet to get a candle. Maybe it smells like blueberry, maybe it smells like apple cider or maybe it doesn't smell at all.
He set's you down on his work bench, places a candle in you, lights it, and then puts you on display to show the world just how beautiful a broken pot is.
God knows your imperfections and He still thinks you are beautiful. Do wanna know why?
Because, you are shining so bright with His love and His light.
You may not be perfect, I am not perfect.
But you are unique and so, so beautiful. God could never throw you away
♥
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