(Newsletter Article – September 2021)
“But now, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.” Isaiah 64:8.
* When people go through difficult times in life, such as illness or accidents and suffer for a long time or permanently because of it, it is hard to find words to bring comfort to them. But we can be by their side and stand with them, giving them the support they so much need in time of crisis. As Christians we can also pray for them so that the Lord would grant them relief from their pain and stress. (We are actually commanded to pray…)
* We also need to remember that even when the anguish is great the Lord can and will turn our troubles around for our well-being, even when we do not know how that can happen… even when we cannot see any positive outcome from it all. That is why Paul was able to say, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Rom 8:28. Is it hard for us to understand that? Yes, because we are not able to see everything as God sees it. God has a purpose for us, and so He will turn events around in ways that we will be shaped into something really wonderful.
* This is where a little fictional story about a teacup fits in nicely….
* A couple used to go to England to shop in the beautiful stores. They liked antiques and pottery and especially teacups. This was their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. One day they saw a beautiful cup. They said, "May we see that? We've never seen one quite so beautiful."
* As the lady handed it to them, suddenly the cup spoke. "You don't understand," it said. "I haven't always been a teacup. There was a time when I was red and I was clay. My master took me and rolled me and patted me over and over and I yelled out, 'let me alone,' but he only smiled, 'Not yet.' "Then I was placed on a spinning wheel," the cup said, "and suddenly I was spun around and around and around. Stop it! I'm getting dizzy! I screamed. But the master only nodded and said, 'Not yet.' "Then he put me in the oven. I never felt such heat!" the teacup said. "I wondered why he wanted to burn me, and I yelled and knocked at the door. I could see him through the opening and I could read his lips as He shook his head, 'Not yet.' "Finally the door opened, he put me on the shelf, and I began to cool. 'There, that's better,' I said. And he brushed and painted me all over. The fumes were horrible. I thought I would gag. 'Stop it, stop it!' I cried. He only nodded, 'Not yet.' "Then suddenly he put me back into the oven, not like the first one. This was twice as hot and I knew I would suffocate. I begged. I pleaded. I screamed. I cried. All the time I could see him through the opening, nodding his head saying, 'Not yet.' "Then I knew there wasn't any hope. I would never make it. I was ready to give up. But the door opened and he took me out and placed me on the shelf.
* One hour later he handed me a mirror and said, 'Look at yourself.' And I did. I said, 'That's not me; that couldn't be me. It's beautiful. I'm beautiful.' "'I want you to remember, then,' he said, 'I know it hurts to be rolled and patted, but if I had left you alone, you'd have dried up. I know it made you dizzy to spin around on the wheel, but if I had stopped, you would have crumbled. I knew it hurt and was hot and disagreeable in the oven, but if I hadn't put you there, you would have cracked. I know the fumes were bad when I brushed and painted you all over, but if I hadn't done that, you never would have hardened; you would not have had any color in your life. And if I hadn't put you back in that second oven, you wouldn't survive for very long because the hardness would not have held. Now you are a finished product. You are what I had in mind when I first began with you.'" (Author Unknown)
* My friends, so when troubles, anguish, pain, illness… come along, DO NOT GIVE UP! Stick closely to the Master… to the Potter… Let Him be in charge of your life. He will… YES HE WILL TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE INTO SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL even when you cannot see it… even when you feel that all is lost. He is there with You through thick and thin! He will never leave you or abandon you! He will make you who He wants you to be!
* Have a blessed month of September! Rev. Don Sonntag
“But now, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.” Isaiah 64:8.
* When people go through difficult times in life, such as illness or accidents and suffer for a long time or permanently because of it, it is hard to find words to bring comfort to them. But we can be by their side and stand with them, giving them the support they so much need in time of crisis. As Christians we can also pray for them so that the Lord would grant them relief from their pain and stress. (We are actually commanded to pray…)
* We also need to remember that even when the anguish is great the Lord can and will turn our troubles around for our well-being, even when we do not know how that can happen… even when we cannot see any positive outcome from it all. That is why Paul was able to say, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Rom 8:28. Is it hard for us to understand that? Yes, because we are not able to see everything as God sees it. God has a purpose for us, and so He will turn events around in ways that we will be shaped into something really wonderful.
* This is where a little fictional story about a teacup fits in nicely….
* A couple used to go to England to shop in the beautiful stores. They liked antiques and pottery and especially teacups. This was their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. One day they saw a beautiful cup. They said, "May we see that? We've never seen one quite so beautiful."
* As the lady handed it to them, suddenly the cup spoke. "You don't understand," it said. "I haven't always been a teacup. There was a time when I was red and I was clay. My master took me and rolled me and patted me over and over and I yelled out, 'let me alone,' but he only smiled, 'Not yet.' "Then I was placed on a spinning wheel," the cup said, "and suddenly I was spun around and around and around. Stop it! I'm getting dizzy! I screamed. But the master only nodded and said, 'Not yet.' "Then he put me in the oven. I never felt such heat!" the teacup said. "I wondered why he wanted to burn me, and I yelled and knocked at the door. I could see him through the opening and I could read his lips as He shook his head, 'Not yet.' "Finally the door opened, he put me on the shelf, and I began to cool. 'There, that's better,' I said. And he brushed and painted me all over. The fumes were horrible. I thought I would gag. 'Stop it, stop it!' I cried. He only nodded, 'Not yet.' "Then suddenly he put me back into the oven, not like the first one. This was twice as hot and I knew I would suffocate. I begged. I pleaded. I screamed. I cried. All the time I could see him through the opening, nodding his head saying, 'Not yet.' "Then I knew there wasn't any hope. I would never make it. I was ready to give up. But the door opened and he took me out and placed me on the shelf.
* One hour later he handed me a mirror and said, 'Look at yourself.' And I did. I said, 'That's not me; that couldn't be me. It's beautiful. I'm beautiful.' "'I want you to remember, then,' he said, 'I know it hurts to be rolled and patted, but if I had left you alone, you'd have dried up. I know it made you dizzy to spin around on the wheel, but if I had stopped, you would have crumbled. I knew it hurt and was hot and disagreeable in the oven, but if I hadn't put you there, you would have cracked. I know the fumes were bad when I brushed and painted you all over, but if I hadn't done that, you never would have hardened; you would not have had any color in your life. And if I hadn't put you back in that second oven, you wouldn't survive for very long because the hardness would not have held. Now you are a finished product. You are what I had in mind when I first began with you.'" (Author Unknown)
* My friends, so when troubles, anguish, pain, illness… come along, DO NOT GIVE UP! Stick closely to the Master… to the Potter… Let Him be in charge of your life. He will… YES HE WILL TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE INTO SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL even when you cannot see it… even when you feel that all is lost. He is there with You through thick and thin! He will never leave you or abandon you! He will make you who He wants you to be!
* Have a blessed month of September! Rev. Don Sonntag