Flowers from Flaws

"The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me; your love, O Lord, endures forever – do not abandon the work of your hands"  (Psalm 138:8).

Every fall there are clusters of beautiful golden wildflowers blooming along many of our roadsides. They remind me of a story I once heard about a cracked pot. A woman owned several clay pots which she used to carry water from the well to her home each day. One pot was cracked and leaked, losing half of its water on the walk home.

The pot became very discouraged and finally told the woman how useless and discouraged it felt because of its flaws. The woman said that the next day she wanted the pot to notice the beautiful flowers blooming along the roadside. The pot did, and thought they were lovely, but still felt like a failure. The woman then told the pot that she knew it had cracks and flaws, yet she chose to keep it. She planted the flowers along the way, knowing that each day the cracked pot would water them on the walk home. The lovely flowers were there because of the pot's flaws.

I see similarities here in my own life. I look at other people and am sharply aware of the cracks and flaws in my body. The woman in the story did not choose to discard the pot, or even seal the cracks with mud or clay. Its very flaws were accomplishing her purpose. So it is with those of us who feel “flawed”. God is using us just as we are for His purposes. Some days He may allow us to see buds of our influence, but many days we may have no idea of the flowers we are watering along the roads we travel. Yet God knows, and one day all will be made plain. Until then, we are fulfilling His purpose here on earth, and He will never abandon us.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I am the work of Your hands - beautiful in Your sight, created for a purpose, and never left alone. Help me to accept my flaws and imperfections, that through them You may bring blessing to others and glory to Yourself. Amen.