Cracked Pot

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 in 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 has our own unique flaws.
We re all cracked pots.
But if we will allow it,
the Lord will use our flaws to grace His Father’s
table.

Source: Sermon Central/Wade Hughes Sr.