~ written by Connie Dunmyer
Life's an adventure. Albert Einstein said: "There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." I don’t know how people who don’t believe in miracles get out of bed. (Maybe they don’t.) For I find that my very existence is truly miraculous. And if a day goes by when I don’t see the hand of God in some way – then I need to adjust my spiritual glasses.
2 Corinthians 3:5-6 – 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; 6 Who also hath made us able [sufficient] . . . [KJV – emphasis added]
As you know, I am new to blog-writing. In fact, I’m new to sharing my opinions, thoughts, and/or musings to anyone. It’s hard for me to consider my thoughts worth anything to anyone else. However, I do believe God has called me to this, and that HE is the One writing – not so much me. HE is my sufficiency. HE is Enough!
Which doesn’t mean this, or anything else in life, is easy.
The other night as I lay awake, I pondered the thought that I have a “bubble” or “balloon” of doubt – that I keep trying to push or keep under water – but it always pops up to the top. As I prayed, I asked God to show me what that “doubt” is – where it is – why it is. And that He would pop it, destroy it, or take it. To be clear, I have not identified it. It may be the doubt that resides in “resignation”. Or it may be that God is bringing something to the surface that He and I need to rid in my life.
While it is important to recognize these balloons-of-doubt, I believe it’s far more important to simply be honest before God that I even have these doubts. For I am human. And as a human, I live my entire life as a “clay pot”. I do not naturally have the ability to do or be anything. I am fragile. I may even be a “cracked pot”. BUT GOD . . . in His everlasting love and mercy says to me, and to you, “Here – enjoy My Greatness, My Power, My Wisdom. Allow My Spirit to live in you and together we can do ANYTHING!”
7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. [NIV – emphasis added]
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency [greatness] of the power may be of God, and not of us. [KJV – emphasis added]
Patsy Clairmont writes: “Picture an empty pitcher with a network of cracks down the front. Now imagine that pitcher filled with light and a lid put on the top. Where does the light shine through? The cracks. THAT is the same way the Lord’s light shines through our lives. Not so much by what we do well naturally, but by what HE must do in us supernaturally for it to be so.” ~ from her book, “God Uses Cracked Pots”.
If this is so – then I really should “glory in my weakness” SO THAT the Power of the Living God may shine through me (2 Corinthians 12:9). It’s ok that I don’t always know what to write. It’s ok that I don’t know what I’m doing half the time. It’s ok because it’s not really me anyway – it’s Jesus!
Oh the glorious connection between our Holy, Infinite Father and we finite, clay pots. We often think of ourselves as infinite beings, that these clay pots will live forever, or that people will remember us forever. That we can “do anything” if we try hard enough. But alas, that is not the case. We are merely earthen vessels, jars of clay. Easily cracked or broken. The only way to be “infinite” is to have The Infinite dwell and work inside us.
Last week my husband had a medical emergency. It came out of nowhere (as most do). And at first I panicked. I couldn’t remember my own address while on the phone with 911. I am a clay pot, after all. BUT GOD . . . was not panicked. In fact, He showed and continues to show HIS all-surpassing power through the cracks in our clay pots. Within a short time, I not only calmed down, but I found that I was comforted by the Holy Spirit in a miraculous way. For I realized that because he is doing well without serious consequence, this was a “warning”, a “nudge”, a “glimpse of wisdom” to find a problem we did not know was there previously. God is showing HIS Greatness through fragile, earthen clay. In fact, I believe this happened with the specific miraculous intent of showing the “works of God displayed in him” (John 9:3).
GOD PLANNED IT THIS WAY.
We should not look at our limitations or finiteness negatively. We should not get heady over our competence nor discouraged at what we cannot do. No. These facts should not deter us. BECAUSE God’s plan is to show HIS Greatness, HIS Excellency, HIS all-surpassing power THROUGH us – earthen clay though we are. That IS how HE made us. And He said “it was very good”.
Genesis 1:27-31 – 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. . . 31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.
So don’t stop doing good. Keep moving forward.
Don’t give up on the dream God put in your heart.
Our sufficiency is of God – not us.
He wants to show His all-surpassing power through these clay pots – cracked though they may be.
My Prayer:
You are doing a work in me, God. Thank You. You are doing a work in my husband and family. And just as importantly, You are doing a work in every person reading this blog right now (as well as those that quit halfway through). I cannot always see the goal – but I trust my Sovereign Coach. I trust the Potter Who made me just like I am, and called me “good”. I will keep walking this path, til You show me another. Whatever doubts bubble-up, I bring them to You. So that YOU, and YOUR power can be shown. Not me. May I live the miracle of life in this clay pot – my life in Christ. Amen.