The Potters House Part 1 “Just a Lump of Clay”
(first in a six part series)
“The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying: ‘Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause you to hear My words.” Jeremiah 18:1-2
Have you ever been soaked, cut, kneaded, slammed, stretched, molded, put out to dry, then gone through the fire, covered with slime and into the fire again???
I am honored to be friends with potters Marty and Sheila McLendon. They offered the opportunity to come to their new pottery shed and ‘make’ something. My thoughts at this invitation were that I would go over one afternoon, pick up a piece of clay and shape it into a lovely bowl. Then, a few days later I would run by and pick up the finished product, my exquisite masterpiece, and proclaim, “Look what I did!”
Not so fast!!! Marty, the wonderful teacher that he is, allowed me the privilege to work with the clay from start to finish. And work I did! The Lord told Jeremiah to go to the Potter’s house and listen. The Hebrew word there is Shama’ which means to hear with the intent to obey, discern, perceive, understand and then to publish, make it known. He had much to teach Jeremiah and much to teach me as well.
Before ever touching the clay, Marty had me draw and design this piece, the finished product! Oh! You mean I needed to know what the finished product would look like when I finished? You mean this piece of lumpy, gray clay held within it a design that only I knew? You mean I must know the end from the beginning, to have a plan for this piece of dirt? Yes, Ruthie, go to the Potter’s house, I want you to understand more fully not only who I am but how intimately we are connected!
As I was preparing to work with this clay I realized that indeed it was I who would choose the clay, process it, design and shape it. Everything about this piece was MY CHOICE. The destiny of this lump of clay was in my heart and mind before it was in my hand. Isn’t that just like our Father. We were in his heart and mind before we ever came to be. Before we were born, we already had a purpose and destiny! We were already loved, cared for, and the way of salvation was already opened to us before we were shaped in our mother’s womb. (Psm 139) So my friend, You are no accident! You are one of a kind! You have His fingerprint in the core of your very being! You were made by him and for him, designed by his hand and shaped for His purposes, your destiny! You were his choice! And Oh! How he loves you.
