I AM THE CLAY

Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth; no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." (John 3:3)

When we hear Jesus say that we must be born again -- born from above -- it is easy to hear that as a onetime thing -- as if we should have become perfect on the day of our baptism. But we know that we aren't perfect.

So I like the metaphor of the potter and the clay that also comes from the Bible. Isaiah said:

"Yet, O Lord, you are our Father;

we are the clay, and you are our potter;

we are all the work of your hand" (Isaiah 64:8).

When I think of God being the potter and us being the clay, I don't think of us as clay vases sitting on a shelf -- finished -- perfect in every way. I think of us as wet clay on the potter's wheel. I think of God's hands still shaping the clay of our lives -- still working toward a perfect shape -- trimming a bit here and adding a bit there.

That's painful -- painful as it can be. I feel it every time God presses hard to rid me of an unsightly lump. I feel it every time God trims away a piece of me that I held dear. But (at least in my good moments) I thank God for the pain, because the pain shows me that God is still at work in my life -- not only working to make me fit for heaven but also making me better fitted for life on earth.

"Have Thine Own Way, Lord." Remember the words of this old gospel song. It's written as a prayer.

"Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way! Thou art the Potter, I am the clay. Mold me and make me after Thy will, While I am waiting,

yielded and still."

I love the metaphor of the potter and the clay, because it tells me that I am a work in progress. That gives me hope. God isn't finished with me yet.

If you will allow Jesus to begin his work in your life, he will begin making something beautiful out of you. It doesn't matter how ugly your life has been. It doesn't matter what you have done. Because, in the hands of the master potter, any old lump of clay will do.

Let Jesus be Lord of your life. Look to him for guidance. Allow him to shape your life. If you will do that, he will give you a life worth living. Amen. Amen.

Charlotte Austin McCary's Chapel United Methodist Church