House Church Talk - the cracked pot

[David Anderson]

Greetings to all and to the one who just returned, Marilew. "Hello 
Marilew." (I can remember when that was on the top 40 charts.)   

Sunday is our day for praise, testimony, and the opening of non-house 
church issues. Here's a good story that my neighbor sent to me.

   David Anderson

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A water bearer had two large pots, each hung on each end of a pole which 
he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, and while 
the other pot was perfect and always delivered a fill portion of water at 
the end of the long walk from the stream to the master's house, the 
cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only 
one and a half pots full of water to his master's house. Of course, the 
perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for 
which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own 
imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of 
what it had been made to do. After two years of what it perceived to be a 
bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream.

"I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you."

"Why'?" asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?"

"I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load 
because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back 
to your master's house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this 
work, and you don't get full value for your efforts," the pot said.The 
water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he 
said, "As we return to the master's house, I want you to notice the 
beautiful flowers along the path."

Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the 
sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this 
cheered it some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because 
it had leaked out half its load, and so again it apologized to the bearer 
for its failure.

The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only 
on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because 
I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I 
planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we 
walk back from the stream, you've watered them. For two years I have been 
able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table. 
Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to 
grace his house."