Isaiah 64:8 has always intrigued me. But, what does it mean in our lives? What if you feel like, as clay, you are being squashed? God is the Potter, but it is not easy being the clay.
“Yet, O Lord, You are our Father;
We are the clay, and You our Potter,
And we all are the work of Your hand.” Isaiah 64:8 (AMP)
The idea of God being the Potter in my life helped me to discover good does come out of radical changes. Even when I feel squashed. I think it will help you too.
Examining life changes through this lens let me see how God was with me through it all.
I also saw that as promised in Romans 8:28, He brought good out of the situation – in every single step.
Before I share more, you need to know I am not a potter. The steps I describe are based on my limited experience changing lumps of clay into recognizable forms. Well, mostly recognizable forms….
Thrown and Kneaded
Before a potter uses clay, it must be prepared. Using a wire, a just-right-sized piece is sliced from a block. The clay is then thrown onto the table repeatedly, with resounding thumps. Then the clay is kneaded.
Have you felt like that during change?
Removed from things that you knew, that you held dear?
Or maybe the events happened so quickly you feel like the air has been knocked out of you.
Perhaps the change right now is so radical you are having trouble knowing what to do next.
I felt like this when our oldest son left home for college in a different country.
Our house echoed with emptiness.
As he strove to achieve independence my opportunities to speak encouragement and life into him dwindled.
I felt useless.
I was being kneaded instead of needed.
In parking lots, I fought the urge to run up to moms with young children and advise them to cherish these times.
My role as a mother was being radically altered.
God was the Potter overseeing the change, but it was not easy being the clay.
However, in the process, a positive transformation happened. I talked and listened more frequently to God.
My prayer life deepened.
Forming
In the next step of the process, the potter carefully brings his vision to life. Pressure is exerted by his hands and portions of clay are removed. Sometimes it is completely flattened.
I felt the physical absence of our son deeply. It felt like a part of me had been removed. Just as the potter removes clay to bring His vision to life.
I missed being able to talk to him.
As I lost more control over his life, I realized, to my surprise, I never really had been in control.
It had been God. I was thankful for this because His love for my son was greater than mine ever would be.
God was forming me to trust Him even more.
Trust Him with one of my most precious possessions, my oldest son.
I started to cling to this truth: God was in control.
He is in control of your changing situation too.
I was thankful that God was the Potter, but it was not easy being the clay. The short-term discomfort was outweighed by the positive changes. You can read more about transitions here.
I learned to trust God despite the circumstances.
Resting
Once the clay has been formed to the potters liking it rests. Covered with a cloth no further action is taken. It is being prepared for the next dramatic step.
In my life, this time of rest was not a time of inactivity. My schedule was still busy but there were no periods of crisis. I continued to pray.
I was thankful God was the Potter but being the clay was not easy. The pace of emotional change had been grueling.
I enjoyed the rest.
It was time to integrate what I had been learning.
Fired in the Kiln
After the clay has rested the formed product undergoes the final radical transformation. It is put in a kiln, a type of furnace with blazingly high temperatures. The pottery emerges hard, durable and if it has been glazed, looking completely transformed.
This stage was hard. There was a lot going on.
Difficult decisions were required when my aging mother-in-law could no longer live alone.
Our adjustments to a new home in a new city and my new job were not going seamlessly.
It was not easy being the clay but, I was thankful that God was the Potter.
We were not being subjected to the whims of “fate”.
He used our circumstances to grow my trust even more.
I began to develop a deep-felt belief that God’s plan was sovereign: it would unfold. He really would work all things together for the good.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Romans 8:28 (NIV)
I was thankful God was the Potter. Nothing was wasted.
I realized He still had a plan for me as a mother. I accepted the pace of the plan and my role in it was up to Him.
Sometimes I would be actively involved in the growth and development of my son. At other times my role would be primarily in prayer.
Like the pottery when it emerges from the kiln, I am stronger. I may look different. I hope so.
I have been transformed into the mother of an adult son. He doe make all things new. You might find this song encouraging.
I am thankful God is the Potter. At times it is not easy being the clay. But it is without a doubt worth it. I am the clay, the work of His hand. You are His work too. We are being formed lovingly and carefully.
How is He forming you right now?