I want to tell you a story of

A beautiful vase, and from where she began

She was once just an ugly, grey lump of clay

Until she put her life into The Potter's Hands

God spent years, molding and

Shaping her, into who she is today

Before she was put on the Potter's wheel

Her life was going nowhere and

She was in really bad shape

He has now made her into a beautiful vase

Destined to hold flowers

With the fragrance of Gods heart

It took much preparation and time

For God to shape her, and make her

Into His own unique design

He would poke her and He would prod

And sometimes she begged Him to stop

God would put her in the fire

And would turn up the heat

To make her strong, so that when He

Wanted to use her someday, she wouldn't leak

He painted her with all different colours

And she will admit, some of the colours

Were not to her taste

But, He would remind her that

She was the clay, and He was the Potter

And He never makes a mistake

There were times when He left her

For so long, in the fire

That she thought she would crack under the pressure

And there were even times she thought I would die

There were times, He left her on the shelf for

months, just as an unpainted clay pot

So many times, she called to Him,

Thinking He had left her

Then He would

Take her in His hands again

To finish the job

The process was painful, especially

The molding and shaping part

There was so much pain and hurt

That He needed to squeeze out of her heart

The firing was also at times, unbearable

And she begged God to leave her be!

He gave her a loving smile,

And this is what He said, "Oh I can't,

Because when I am finished with you

You will bring so much glory and honour to Me

You decided to get on the potters wheel

When you gave Me your life

You gave Me the permission to mold and shape you

To be like my Son, Jesus Christ

Be patient, I promise you

I have great plans, and wonderful things

I would like you to do"

So she remained silent, and let the Potter

Have His way

And allowed Him to make something Beautiful

out of an ugly lump of clay

Finally she was molded and shaped

And decorated with all different colours of paint

She is now sitting on the shelf,

Just sitting, all by herself

People pass her by everyday

And do not even notice her up there on the shelf

She watches as other pots are taken

While she is left, waiting, all by herself

She asked the Potter, "Why did you bother

Making me if I am just going to sit here?

She started to get discouraged, as she began to gather dust

The Potter replied, "As you wait here, you will learn so much

You will learn it is not what you are to do,

That will give you your worth

You will learn, your worth is in Me, because

There is not one that I have made

like you, on the whole earth

You are valued and cherished, whether you sit

Here on this shelf for years, or for just hours

I love you just as much now

As I will, when someday you hold flowers

You are my own unique design

And no matter where you go, or what you do

You will always be Mine

I made you, and I carefully shaped you

Into who you are today

If you never put your life into the Potters hands

You would still be that ugly clump of clay

Sit on the shelf, and just wait

I promise, you will have your day

Do not get discouraged as people pass you by

Be encouraged, because even if no one notices you

You will always be the apple of my eye

I know who and what you once were, and

Who and what you have now become

And I will receive all the praise and glory

When people see the work I have done

So just sit, My little vase

And just know and be assured of

How loved, valued, and priceless you are

You are one of a kind

And I am so overjoyed

You are Mine"

So the little vase sat on the shelf and waited

And praised the Potter for all that He had done

And as she sat there, this is the song, which she

sung

"Something beautiful, something good

All my confusion, He understood

All I had to offer Him was brokenness and strife

But He made something beautiful out of my life

I was once nothing, and He made me into something

I was once broken and bruised

But He has made me into something beautiful

So for His glory, I can be used"

K A GRAAF

God can do wonders in the broken, the bruised

and those who know ..... that without JESUS

they would not even be alive

Why? Because they know that it is by HIS GRACE

that they stand, and they learn very quickly that the

only way they will stand is in the strength of CHRIST

and Christ alone

DONT JUDGE PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE AT

IF YOU HAVE NO IDEA .... WHERE THEY HAVE BEEN

GIVE THEM LOVE, ENCOURAGEMENT, AND GRACE

BECAUSE ALL OF US NEED

TO GO THROUGH

THE PROCESS OF BEING ON THE POTTERS WHEEL

AND WHEN WE ARE GOING THROUGH THE FIRE

WE NEED EACH OTHERS GRACE TOO

BECAUSE THIS IS THE MOST TRYING AND PAINFUL

PROCESS WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH,

ON THE JOURNEY

OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE

WE NEED TO STOP POINTING FINGERS AT EACH OTHER...

COS GOD WILL PUT HIS HANDS ON US IF WE CONTINUE TO DO SO....

BE PATIENT WITH EACH OTHER

GOD ISNT FINISHED WITH ANYONE YET!

WE ARE ALL GOING THROUGH

A DIFFERENT PROCESS TO BECOME MORE CHRIST LIKE

SOME ARE ON THE POTTERS WHEEL,

AND SOME ARE GOING THROUGH THE FIRE

I SUPPOSE IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THIS

BEFORE YOU GET THE SPECK OUT OF SOMEONE ELSES EYE

GET THE LOG OUT OF YOUR OWN

GIVE EACH OTHER LOVE AND GRACE

HOLD EACH OTHERS HAND

THROUGH THE TRIALS WE ALL MUST FACE

ALL OF US STARTED AS A LUMP OF CLAY

AND IT IS ONLY TO GODS GLORY

WE ALL ARE WHO WE ARE TODAY

IT IS BECAUSE OF GODS GRACE WE ARE WHO WE ARE

IT IS HE WHO CHOSE TO REVEAL HIMSELF

TO OUR HEARTS

BE PATIENT WITH THE UNPAINTED POTS

THEY ARE IN THE HANDS OF THE ALMIGHTY GOD

HE WILL MAKE THEM BEAUTIFUL IN HIS PERFECT TIME