From an Imperfect Vessel

From an Imperfect Vessel

When I was a child, I made a clay bowl for my Mother. I made it at school and with the equipment there, it was painted, fired, and finished. If not beautiful, it was usable.
Mom used that bowl the rest of her life-but only on special occasions. When the family got together, she would bring out that lopsided bowl and give it a place of honor on our table. As I grew older, I was embarrassed by its imperfections. I wished that I had had had the talent to make a perfect bowl for my Mom, but it didn’t matter to her-because she loved me. And because she loved me, she treasured my offering treating it with love.

Perhaps that is the way God sees me—as an imperfect vessel, but willing to be molded by Him into what He intends for me. He sees the flaws in me—the lopsided imperfection, but He knows that I’m still maturing and He, the Master Potter is not yet finished with my life.

God accepts the offering I lift up to Him because He knows my heart. He listens to an imperfect voice sing His praises, my elementary prayers, my limited understand of His Holy Word because, He says, like my Mom did—“My daughter gave this to me…”

Lord, I’m just a lump of clay-
Imperfect and incomplete.
With all the super Christians,
Lord, I can’t compete.

Lord, I’m just a piece of earth
Made into an imperfect vessel.
There are things inside my heart and mind
With which I daily wrestle.

Lord, I’m just a lump of clay
Waiting to see you will do,
To take this lump of clay
And make it more like you!

Thena Smih

I love the way you put the tale before the poem. It really gives it a lot of meaning. What a precious story, loved it!

A couple of typos I found:

I wished that I had had had
Waiting to see you will do,

Got some pottery Jody made in art class in college that are very special to us(rather lopsided and imperfect but priceless).
Please don't count me among the "super Christians", the only thing I've been capable of without the Lord are "super blunders".
I am a writer, I accept this and embrace this for the first time in my life. Writing is subjective, I enjoy it...for now I'm prolific at it but everything has it's season. I hadn't written for well over thirteen years before being led to this site, must be for a reason. There is great complexity and wisdom in your so called "simplicity" of expression, don't change a thing about it !
You are absolutely charming, wise and endearing.

God Bless you,
Miss Thena.

oneagleswings wrote:

I hadn't written for well over thirteen years before being led to this site, must be for a reason.

Wow, you have no idea what a blessing that is to me. I didn't know that. You brought me to tears with that comment.

very minimally, nothing really to speak of and very uninspired. A friend of mine told me to write...even if you keep it to yourself. I told him I didn't have the heart for it anymore, that I doubted I would write anything besides a grocery list or a check for bills.

I believe your work is very inspired, heavenly inspired. I truly enjoy reading it.

Lora, I will put an Amen to that ...heavenly inspired.

Maybe so...but as Miss Thena so insightfully and eloquently put it in her own humble way: "even the gentlest of cows has big horns"
I'm working on filing those down and I truly believe it's a process in the Lord's own time, in any event, help has arrived. Help me keep it pure and honest my dear friends, correct me when you think I need it, I will love you all the more for it.

God Bless.