Each of you should use whatever gifts you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in all its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.
1Peter 4:10-11
The Story of The Cracked Pot
A water bearer had two large pots, hung on each end of a pole, which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full load of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the water bearer’s house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. This went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do. After a long time of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, the cracked pot spoke to the water bearer one day, by the stream. “I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you”. The bearer asked, “Why? What are you ashamed of?” The pot replied, “For a long time I have been able to deliver only half of my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house. Because of my flaws, you don’t get full value for your efforts”. The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion, he said, “As we return to the house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path.” As they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it somewhat. But at the end of the trail, it still felt sad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again it apologized to the bearer for its failure. The bearer said to the pot, “Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other pot’s side? That’s because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you’ve watered them. For many years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my house. Without you being just the way you are, we would not have had this beauty to grace our house.” - Author Unknown ******** We are all cracked pots with flaws and imperfections, but we also have unique talents. Embracing our flaws and imperfections can lead to unexpected and beautiful outcome.
The Other Side of The Wall
There was a young woman who took great pride in the growth and care of the flowers in her flower garden. She had been raised by her grandmother who taught her to love and care for flowers as she herself had done. So, like her grandmother, her flower garden was second to none. One day while looking through a flower catalogue she often ordered from, a picture of a plant immediately caught her eye. She had never seen blooms on a flower like that before. "I must have it,” she said to herself, and she immediately ordered it. When it arrived, she already had a place prepared to plant it. She planted it at the base of a stone wall at the back of her yard. It grew vigorously, with beautiful green leaves all over it, but there were no blooms. Day after day she continued to cultivate it, water it, feed it, and she even talked to it attempting to coax it to bloom. But it was to no avail. One morning, weeks later, as she stood before the vine, she contemplated how disappointed she was that her plant had not bloomed. She was giving considerable thought to cutting it down and planting something else in its place. It was at this point that her disable neighbour, whose lot joined hers, called over to her. "Thank you so much! You can't imagine how much I have enjoyed the blooms of that vine you planted. The young woman walked through the gate into her neighbours’ yard, and sure enough, she saw that on the other side of the wall the vine was filled with blooms. There were indeed the most beautiful blooms she had ever seen. The vine had crept through the crevices, and it had not flowered on her side of the fence, it had flowered luxuriantly on the other side. Just because you cannot see the good result of your labour does not mean that it bore no fruit.