Don't Rush The Artist

Did you ever make a clay pot in school? I did. It wasn't anything special (most aren't at elementary age), but I remember the feel of the clay between my hands. The potential of a cold lump of clay on the table before me (and those rickety, old, grey metal stools, remember those?). I remember being eager to create my masterpiece, but before we could do anything, the teacher told us we had to knead the clay. What? Why? It looks fine, why do I have to do that? I remember some friends taking shortcuts and beginning their pots right away. I was a play by the rules kind of girl, so I kneaded my clay as told, but I was secretly envious of the others so far ahead of me. They were first to finish and place their pots in the kiln. We all eagerly waited for the day we could collect our fired masterpieces so we could glaze them. When the first pots were pulled out though, they were cracked or shattered. Those that didn't knead their clay had to start all over. Their pots cracked under the heat of the kiln because the clay was not properly prepared.

Kneading clay makes it pliable and removes any air bubbles, inconsistencies or rigidness in the clay. This is really important because, as we all learned, if not done properly, the pot will crack or explode under the heat of the kiln.

Kneading: a process of folding, pressing and stretching.

Before shaping us into a useful vessel, God kneads us. He folds, presses and stretches us in His capable hands. Just like kneading air bubbles out of clay so the pot will not crack later, God will knead out that which is not necessary from our life. He makes us more pliable to be shaped into a vessel for His use, eliminating rigidness, so we can bend to His forming without breaking. This shaping makes us pliable and helps us yield to His will and adjust to the varying conditions around us.

Pliable: Supple enough to bend freely or repeatly without breaking. Yielding readily. Adjustable to varying conditions.

But now, O LORD, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand. 
Isaiah 64:8 NKJV

He is The Potter, we are the clay. He takes the unformed lumps of our life and shapes them into beautiful vessels for His use. He warms the cold parts of our heart by molding it within His loving hands. We may feel the pushing and the pulling and think we've had enough, but if we'll hang in there, we'll see He is making us stronger, more flexible—which is better for us in the long run.

When you feel tried or pressed, trust the working of His hands. There is a shaping and forming that is happening in this time. He works slowly and gently within us. We may feel pressed, but we are not crushed. Remember, His hands cover us and hold us during this forming process.  He is making us into the beautiful vessel we were created to be. Stay on the Potter's wheel until He is finished. 

You are His masterpiece. Don't rush the Great Artist. 

"We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed."

2 Corinthians 4:7-9 NLT