There was a couple who used to go to England to shop in the beautiful stores. They both liked antiques and pottery especially teacups. This was their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary.

One day in this beautiful shop they saw a beautiful teacup. They said. "May we see that? We've never seen one quite so beautiful."

As the lady handed it to them, the teacup suddenly spoke. "You don't understand." it said. "I haven't always been a teacup. There was a time when I was red and I was clay. My master took me and rolled me and patted me over and I yelled out, "let me alone," but he only smiled. "Not yet."

Then he put me in the oven. I never felt such heat. I wondered why he wanted to burn me, and I yelled and knocked at the door. I could see him through the opening and I could read his lips and he shook his head, "Not yet."

Finally the door opened, he put me on the shelf, and I began to cool "There that's better," I said. And he brushed and painted me all over. The fumes were horrible! "Stop it, stop it!" I cried. He only nodded, "Not yet."

Then suddenly he put me back into the oven, not like the first one. this was twice as hot and I knew I would suffocate. I begged and I pleaded. I screamed. I cried. All the time I could see him through the opening and nodding his head saying, "Not yet."

I knew there wasn't any hope. I would never make it. I was ready to give up. But the door opened and he took me out and placed me on the shelf. One hour later he held me in front of a mirror and said, "Look at yourself," and I did, I said, "That's not me; that couldn't be me. It's beautiful. I'm beautiful."

"I want you to remember,then," he said, "I know it hurts to be rolled and patted, but if I had left you alone, you'd have dried up. I know it made you dizzy to spin around on the wheel, but if I had stopped, you would have crumbled. I know it hurt and was hot and disagreeable in the oven, but if I hadn't put you there, you would have cracked. I know the fumes were bad when I brushed and painted you all over, but if I hadn't done that, you would never have hardened; you would not have any color in your life. And if I hadn't put you back in the second oven, you wouldn't survive for very long because the hardness would not have held. Now you are a finished product. You are what I had in mind when I first began you."

God knows what He's doing (for all of us). He is the Potter, and we are His clay. He will mold us and make us, so we may be made into flawless pieces of work to fulfill His good, pleasing, and perfect will. And He is always watching over us. Don't try to hold God's hand; let Him hold yours. Let Him do the holding and you do the trusting.

Maybe you have asked, "Why me Lord?" We often tend to do this and feel that submission is a sign of weakness.
Trust is however, a demonstration of strength and power.
It may not be easy! But by placing your soul in His hands, you will receive blessings untold! Let's each of us be willing to say,"Here I am Lord take me and mold me!"
Sincerely, Linda

ICQ#22443208

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Copyrightedã October 4th, 1999 by Linda a.k.a. Parable98