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Have you ever thought about yourself being clay in the potter’s hands? God makes you! Notice that I say makes, it's an ongoing process. Today, right now, he is forming you. His hands are all over you. His desire is to make you more and more yourself with each passing moment.
The story of man’s beginnings is your story. When we are born we are stained with original sin. Just as water helps mold clay, God uses the water of baptism, along with the other sacraments, to continually shape our character. Don’t you think God could have just thought us into existence? Of course! But He chose to mold us “out of the ground and breathe us into life.” His desire is to enter into our mess and make something beautiful. It takes time and patience. Sometimes, it seems as though we are on that wheel of Maggie Renfro.
Man’s creation! Oh the beauty of our beginnings. We know that the first man was called Adam, which in Hebrew means “clay.” His name gives us insight into the first moments of life. God desired to make a creature that was moldable, one that could learn and grow. Scripture uses the image of us being “clay in the potter’s hands” (Jeremiah, Isaiah, and Romans). The Lord’s desire is to spend time forming us. Have you ever seen someone work on a potter’s wheel with clay? The potter has to be incredibly skilled and precise; too much water and the clay collapses, not enough and it becomes too stiff. The clay must be held delicately, so as not to crush it, and yet with enough firmness to form the intended shape, otherwise the force from the spinning causes the clay to warp. It is precise work that requires constant attention from the potter. His hands cannot stop touching the clay.
Make no mistake - we were handcrafted! The analogy of course falls short because God gives us powers of thought, action, and creativity. He molds us into His image and likeness; He puts Himself into each unique creation life and we’re spinning out of control. We tense up and try to take control. Luckily, God is persistent, time is on His side and He waits for us to be still. Too often we grow tired of the process because we can’t see what He’s doing. Perhaps we even get dizzy and our vision of reality becomes skewed. We need to remember that we aren’t sitting where He is sitting. His ways are not our ways. He is in control.
This story has the power to show us God’s heart and His intentions for creating us. He’s not distant no matter how skewed our vision is. He is present and patient and forming us, even now.
There is a temptation, especially during this Advent season to busy ourselves with planning, parties, and presents. Christmas seems to catch us off guard. The enemy tricks us by taking our attention off what is important. We place pressures on ourselves that God does not place on us.
In my life I’m guilty of taking on too much; guilty of too much volunteering, too much busyness! As women we share in His creative work in a very particular way. We love to make things beautiful and make others feel welcome and comfortable. Those are amazing gifts but sometimes, while preparing my home for guests, or making food for my family, or planning the annual Christmas party, I forget that He created me. HE CREATED ME! He simply wants me to acknowledge who He is - CREATOR, and who I am - Beloved Daughter.
The invitation is this: STOP! Allow HIM to be God. Allow Him to be the potter. Consider the care with which you were made. Allow Him to love you. You are His!
Reflect: Have you ever thought to make this creation story personal? What about this story tells the story of your own life?
Act: What areas of your life cause you to take your focus off of God and His creative work? How can you spend advent refocusing on Christ’s love for you?
