I am a planner. In my day to day I like to make lists of things I want to achieve in a given day. When all ( or most ) of the items are checked off of that list, I feel GOOD. I like to have a plan of action. I like to know what’s going on.
I have had to adapt a lot this year.
In life, and on the World Race for that matter, things don’t always go according to plan, nor do we always know what the “plan” is. The good news is, that’s ok.
With the excitement, questions and uncertainty, of home looming ever closer, I find myself thinking at times: What does the future hold for me? Will I have a family of my own soon? How does God want to use me in Keller, TX? Where will He place me, vocationally? What is the PLAN?! All of these questions are valid, yet secondary to the truth. The answer is, I belong to God. Quite literally, I am the clay and He is the Artist. He knows exactly where I am headed and what He is shaping me into.
Clay starts as a formless mass, and is slowly and expertly sculpted into something beautiful. This doesn’t happen by accident. The Sculptor doesn’t stumble upon a finished piece; He creates with intentionality, and with the end in sight. By fire and intense pressure, clay is formed into exactly what the Artist planned it to be all along. At no point does the clay say to the Creator, “Stop! Your dong it wrong! Are you sure you know what’s going on?” Not so. It submits to the will and the practiced wisdom of the Designer. Finally, a beautiful piece of pottery is produced, exactly like the potter planned.
We are the Clay. HE is the Potter.
Likewise, we should do the same.
Isaiah 64 says, “…Lord, you are our Father… we are the clay, and you are our potter, we are all the work of your hand.”
I don’t know exactly what’s going to happen when I get home. Heck, I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow, or next month in Nepal. Maybe I’ll get married one day. Maybe I’ll get a great job. Maybe I won’t. The wonderful thing is, it isn’t for me to worry about. My life is in the hands of the maker of heaven, and with His expertise, He knows exactly what He is doing.
Don’t focus on the external. Focus on the spirit of God that is inside of us. If you’re not a believer, it is available, free for you. Focus on the spirit of the Designer that is inside of you, He is the Master Craftsman, and He knows exactly what He is shaping our lives into, even when we don’t.
