The Potter and the Clay

Picture by Rachel Robers

Moving can be a huge annoyance in different times of life. You TCK kids would know what I’m talking about. First of all cuz you’d have to pack all your stuff in a limited number of days while saying goodbyes to people you’ve learned to treat as members of the family. Then you would have to get used to the next environment in the next country you are moving to and unpack the things you packed a few weeks back. Being a TCK myself, you would think it get easier over time to let go of your current environment and move on to another. It’s true that in some levels you don’t get too attached, but it’s still the same feeling you get in your stomach when you give the people you care about a last hug and sometimes having the mentality that you might never see them again. If there is something I learned through all this, it’s that the only permanent thing in this world is change. Nothing ever stays the same, time changes everything. As I longed to stay in Korea my entire life I knew I couldn’t stay. God was calling me elsewhere, and He had a better plan. Through my life I have always known that God would never harm you, but give you hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11), but being young I didn’t understand that to its fullest. When God called our family back to the Philippines I had no clue what God was asking of us or me for that matter. Well long story short, it was just a hard transition time for all of us, especially for me who’s lived outside the country all her life and didn’t understand any of the culture. It was during my brokenness and lack of comprehension of what was going on around me that tendered my heart and allowed God to mold me into what He wanted me to be. Just like Him being the Potter and I the clay. (Isaiah 29:16)

Making clay pots with the kids during VBS reminded me of that last week. And for those of you who have never tired making clay pots, they are hard! Especially when the clay is stiff and hard to mold! I had to turn the pedal at the same time try and form this piece of clay into something beautiful (or at least in this case into something someone can identify). It defiantly required a lot of effort and energy in order for it to take shape. I can just picture the same thing in my life when I harden my heart and choose to go my way instead of following what God asks of me. So the next time I think about doing what I want to do, I’ll remember the Potter and clay as I make my next decision.