I was talking
with my spiritual director the other day and he offered this observation. How many people do you know who spend extra
time each day/week, working on something that they are longing for? For example- the runner, who in addition to
their normal exercise routine, spends an extra ½ hour a day working on strengthening
their leg muscles. Or the musician who
spends extra time on a practicing their “fingering” so as to keep their fingers
limber. Or the person who schedules time with a counselor or therapist to work on emotional issues and communication skills. Then he asked me if I spend any extra time working on those places in my "spiritual life" that need strengthening, and if not, why not? Is not my spiritual health just as important, if not more important, than my physical or emotional life?
An intriguing question
and one that I thought merited a little pondering. How do I spend my prayer time? I know that I have very deep wounds, which
only God can heal, but have I actually taken the time to really share them with
God in prayer, to work through my issues with His help, and to open myself to
really hear what He is trying to tell
me?
As I pondered
these questions, I came to realize that sometimes the answer is no. And the reason for this answer is because, in
my humanness, I will do anything that does not cause me pain or discomfort.
So, as I sat in my
pew this morning, the First Sunday of Advent, I heard these beautiful words from
Isaiah 64:7
Yet, O LORD, you are our father;we are the clay and you the potter:
we are all the work of your hands.
God is the
potter and I am the clay. I get
that. God is the creator, and forms me
in His image, but in my quest for understanding, I had to go deeper. Just what does it mean to be clay in the
potter’s hands?
So, using my
friends “Google” and “Wikipedia” I did a little research on pottery and what
I found, well it shouldn’t have surprised me, God really does have one hell of a sense of humor!
Before an artist
can even think about beginning the design process, the clay needs to be
prepared. It needs to be kneaded, to
distribute the moisture and to release the air that is trapped within it. Basically, one needs to beat the crap out of
it before it is ready. And I started to think;
doesn’t God do the same thing to us? I
started to think about all the hard times, when I thought God was nowhere to be
found, and was sending pain, hurt and anger my way to punish me, the times I
looked up to the sky, shaking my fist and saying “Why, God? Why are you doing this to me?” This was God’s way of kneading me, of getting
me ready to look to Him for the answers that I was seeking.
So far so
good. Being clay in the potter’s hands-
a good thing, God is working in me, but it can’t just stop there. If it does, I am still just a lump of clay,
with no purpose. Something has to come
next.
That’s where “throwing” comes in! Throwing is a way to form that piece of clay into something useful and beautiful. From Wikipedia-
During the process of throwing, the wheel rotates rapidly while the solid ball of soft clay is pressed, squeezed and pulled gently upwards and outwards into a hollow shape. The first step of pressing the rough ball of clay downward and inward into perfect rotational symmetry is called centering the clay--a most important skill to master before the next steps: opening (making a centered hollow into the solid ball of clay), flooring (making the flat or rounded bottom inside the pot), throwing or pulling (drawing up and shaping the walls to an even thickness), and trimming or turning (removing excess clay to refine the shape or to create a foot).
So, once I am kneaded, the real formation begins. First there is the “centering”, an important step that brings the clay into perfect symmetry. In the spiritual sense, I see this step as one of the most important. This “centering” has to come from me; I have to choose to allow God to be the center of my life. Only once I make that decision, can God continue to shape me.
Then next thing
is “opening”, or in a spiritual sense, maybe a better word is “emptying”. A hole must be made in the clay in order to
make it a usable vessel. If I am going
to be a “usable vessel” for God, I must open myself to His love; therefore I must
empty myself of all the things that keep me from that love.
Next is the “flooring”,
making a good solid foundation. I see
the Church and the Sacraments as the foundation. By making a commitment to my faith and
receiving the Sacraments, especially Eucharist and Reconciliation, I am helping
to build a good foundation for my life, one that is stable and strong, and will
support me, even when I am filled to the brim with anxiety, fear and
trepidation.
Now, with the
clay prepared the “pulling” starts.
This is where God draws me up to Him, and this is the place where
symmetry is most crucial. If the clay is
not perfectly balanced, the vessel will collapse. This is where my free-will
comes into play. I can cooperate with
the potter, or I can choose not to. If I
choose not to, I end up just another lump of clay, with no real purpose.
And finally,
there is the “turning”, the removal of any excess clay that hinders the beauty
and functionality of the piece. It is now that the piece is ready for the kiln, to be strengthened and changed into a instrument that has a purpose. For me,
this means that God is removing all the things that may hinder my relationship
with Him- my need to be “in control”, to rely on myself rather than relying on
Him.
If you have ever
seen someone working in pottery, you know that it is a very messy job! Just like life! And thinking that God is just the “Great
Fixer” who, with the wave of His hand, could, if He wanted too, make things “all
better” is a very easy trap to fall into.
But without all of these steps, that would be a hollow victory. Without all of the kneading, forming and
trails, I am still just a lump of clay.
But in the hands of God, this insignificant lump of clay can become a
vessel, filled to the brim and overflowing, with the unconditional love of God.
Living a
spiritual life, one where God is the center of everything, is so
counter-cultural in our age, which is why I think that this metaphor is one
that many may not understand today. It
takes patience, love and perseverance to mold a lump of clay into a beautiful
vessel. Thankfully, God has all of those
things and more!
As we begin this
Advent season, this lesson is a very important one, I think. Now is the time to prepare for the coming of
our Lord & Savior, Jesus
Christ. It is the time of year where I
can look at how I can sometimes fall back into that lump of clay, by ignoring
the hands of the artist, and repent and allow myself to be “worked”, sometimes
messily, and often painfully, by the loving hands of God, so that I may become
the vessel that carries His love out into the world.
Happy Advent!
