Sunday Writing... 6-16-19... "POTTER'S DAY"

Good morning!

Today is a difficult day for some, either because their fathers have passed away and they miss them, or they have had strained relationships with their fathers.  Others are celebrating with their dads on this Father's Day.  Perhaps we can change the perspective for those struggling.  Read on to find out why we can say "Happy Potter's Day" instead.

Blessings,
Jan

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Today's Devotional: 

"POTTER'S DAY"

by

Jan Andersen

Pottery comes in all shapes and sizes. Potters use different colors and glazes ranging from subdued earth hues to deep jewel tones to adorn the various vessels. They may make the earthenware into a useful form or just something decorative and fun. Some people really love pottery and have wonderful collections. Other people really couldn't care less about these clay creations. Some even have had bad experiences in the past with these creations, with memories of broken shards of pottery flying across a tile floor, or worse yet, of impact with some sensitive body part!  Potters put a lot of work into forming their creations into their final shapes, throwing, molding, manipulating, and sometimes starting over again and again.

Fathers come in all shapes and sizes too. Some are still with us, and others are departed from this life. Our relationships with them range from loving, protective and supportive to distant and cold, or abusive, or even absent as in abandonment. That is the nature of humanity, at best not perfect, at worst... you get the picture. Not much different from ourselves actually.  Being human as we are, we also come in all forms.  We also struggle to do the right thing every time and are never perfect. Some of us have others in our lives who give us what our fathers did not, molding and shaping us like potter’s clay on a pottery wheel, helping shape us into the people we are.

But there is only one potter who is perfect - our Father in heaven who created us. He molded us like clay into beautiful pottery. We are each unique, with various shapes and sizes, colors and purposes. Even though we are rough, cracked and even broken, we are the works of his loving hands and forgiven when we fail and shatter into pieces. Though we are not perfect, we are made to do God's perfect will. We are created to praise and worship Him, to help others and to do good in the world to bring Him glory by being witnesses to the whole world of his love and mercy. Though we are sinful, God is always forgiving. When God sees us through Christ, our redeemer, he sees us as his perfect creations! 

Isaiah 64:8 (ESV)  O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.  

So on this Father’s Day, whether your relationship with your earthly father is good or strained or nonexistent, or you have a substitute father, remember you have a perfect heavenly Potter as your Father!  Happy Potter’s Day!  May we all be vessels of love to the world as His handiwork.

Dear Father in heaven, I know that you have molded me and made me into a vessel to be filled with faith by your Holy Spirit. When I stumble and crack, you still use me share that faith and to pour out your love through those cracks to bless others. Thank you for sending your Son, Jesus, forgiving my shortcomings and using them to your glory.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.   

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Song:

You are the Potter and I am the Clay 

(sung by Judy Moore)

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Prayers are lifted up daily for you by the Devotional Writers and the Monthly Writing Staff of Women's Focus Ministries

Blog Writers

Sandy Billingham, Karen Bennett, 

 Brother Thomas Ukwute, Jody Ward,  

Bre Miller, Betty Espindola,  Lynda Kinnard

Amie Spruiell, Debbie Rodriguez, Carol Steficek,

Jan Andersen and Corinne Mustafa