A water bearer in India had two large pots, each
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 portion
of water at the end of the long walk from the
stream to the master's house,
the cracked pot arrived only half full.
For a full two years this went on daily, with the
bearer delivering only
one and a half pots full of water to his master's
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 two years of
what it perceived to be a
bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one
day by the stream.
"I am ashamed of myself, and I want to
apologize to you."
"Why?" asked the bearer. "What are you
ashamed of?"
"I have been able, for these past two years, to
deliver only half my load because this crack in
my side causes water to leak out all the way
back to your master's house. Because of my
flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you
don't get full value from your efforts," the pot
said.
The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked
pot, and in his compassion he said, "As we
return to the master's house, I want you to
notice the beautiful flowers along the path."
Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked
pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful
wild flowers on the side of the path, and this
cheered it some. But at the end of the trail, it
still felt bad 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 two years I have been able to pick these
beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table.
Without you being just the way you are, he
would not have this beauty to grace his house."
Each of us have unique flaws. We're all
cracked pots. But if we allow it, the Lord will
use our flaws to grace His table.
In God's great economy, nothing goes waste.
The best we can do is, present ourselves as truthfully as we can and
leave it for Him to present us the way He best knows... Be true to
yourself and be true to others, and life will sure be beautiful...
--
hamza .. :)
--
hamza .. :)
