Beautifully Designed
“Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.”
Have you ever had the opportunity to watch a craftsmen work at their trade? Often when my family would travel during summer holidays, we would come across skilled individuals at local markets or small shops and watch them create right in front of us. Glass blowers, wood carvers, chocolatiers, crepe makers … they all busied themselves quietly, seemingly unaware of the awestruck crowd watching them. To my memory, none of these skilled artists appeared indecisive as they worked. They just did what they knew to do and created beauty from ordinary material, making it extraordinary.
My daughter is a floral designer and has made countless flower arrangements and bouquets for weddings and special events over the years. Just recently, I watched her work without her noticing I was there. She began by first taking the flowers and giving them a fresh cut, and then placed them in buckets of water filled with nutrients that would hydrate and help them recover from their days in shipping. After some time passed, she prepared the flowers by stripping away the outside petals and trailing leaves. Like an artist with a picture of the finished product only she envisioned, she began fearlessly cutting, tying, binding and pulling, and before my eyes, there appeared a bride’s dream bouquet. It was designed with only the bride in mind, customized and tailored perfectly for her. I’ve seen other bouquets made by my daughter; each one is different just as each bride is uniquely beautiful. No two the same. That is one reason why customers hire her.
As I was watching, I was reminded of Christ’s work in our lives. The Bible calls Christ the Master, Teacher, The Good Shepherd and the Potter. All of these titles refer to skilled experts in their trade. There is no one more skilled with people than Christ. The Bible says He is the Potter, and we are the clay. Maybe you are feeling like a vulnerable piece of clay these days. If so, don’t be discouraged! The beauty that emerges from an artist’s work is not because of the product they are using but because of whose hands the product has been in. As God’s children we are safely in the hands of God and simply need to surrender ourselves to his will. We will feel painful pulls and the fresh cut of preparation some days, but don’t be overly concerned, for The Master is at work designing what He sees will bring Him Glory through the beauty of your surrendered life in His hands.
“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”