A Broken Pot

While talking to God about the things that had happened recently in my life, He planted something deep down in my spirit. We all have to be broken pots in order for Him to form us into the beautiful pots that He wants us to be. In my conversation with Him, I asked him why did everything feel so messed up and broken at times? Why don't things ever go as planned? That's when He spoke to me about being a broken pot.

During 'Green Corn'(Mvskoke New Year) everything old is done away with and new is made. I've taken pottery classes before and know how much work and detail can go into each piece. That's why I couldn't imagine breaking all of that beautiful and useful pottery just to make new. 

We are all broken pottery. We have to trust God with all of the broken pieces so he can make us new again. Yeah, we were good and useful before, had a few cracks here and there, but somehow held ourselves together. But a broken pot can't hold water. While in our broken state, we can't hold everything that God is trying to give us and things slip through our hands. We have to have courage and faith for Him to break the old worn out pots that we are and make us new.

"As the clay is in the potters hand to fashion it at his pleasure: so man is in the hand of him that made him, to render to them as liketh him best."-Ecclesiasticus 33:13 

While standing in front of the bathroom mirror, I felt myself getting lightheaded. Thinking it may be my blood sugar, I told myself that I would quickly finish what I was doing any get some sweet tea. That's when God spoke to me and said not to ever be too proud or independent to ask for help. As soon as I asked my sister to bring me something to drink, I couldn't hear anything but the buzzing in my head. My vision blurred and I stared at my sister as she handed me the tea and tried to talk to me. I couldn't hear her.

After a few minutes of sitting on the bathroom floor I felt myself slowly coming around and weakly laughed at myself. I thought, "God, you are trying to break me aren't you? You're trying to make me new and I'm being a stubborn old pot.". He also showed me how I needed to trust His plans for my life more.

Imagine that you have spent a lot of time planning something wonderful, then all of the sudden someone swoops in and thinks that their plans are better and completely squashes any plan and idea you had. That's what God showed me. He has wonderful plans for our lives and knows what is best. But because we can't see what is ahead, we make our our own plans and never even think to ask Him.

"There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand." - Proverbs 19:21

Sometimes we find ourselves broken in silence on the bathroom floor, learning to ask for help and trust God with all of the broken pieces. His plans are greater than mine and His work of art is far more beautiful than anything that I could ever create.

Fruit of the Spirit

The past few days God has shown me that instead of getting upset over stones thrown at me, I should use them to build my relationship with Him.

Currently I am researching what it means to be a Christian. What about me shows that I am a follower of God? God tells us that we are to know each other by our fruits. What fruit is God talking about? The fruit of the Spirit. So I looked it up to see what they were.

"But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."- Galatians 5:22-23

After reading over that scripture a few times, I knew that I needed to get the definition of each word to get a better understanding of what God means.

This is what I found.

Love: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 tells us the definition of love.

"4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."- 1Corinthians 13:4-7

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Joy: Great happiness. Joy is a delight of the mind from the consideration of the present or assured approaching possession of a good.

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Peace: To be, become, or keep silent or quiet. A state of security. Freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts and emotions.

Peace of God: Peace of which is the gift of God.

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Long-suffering: Suffering for a long time without complaining. Very patient during difficult times.

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Gentleness: The quality or state of being gentle: especially: mildness of manners or disposition.

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Goodness: The quality or state of being good.

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Faith: Strong belief or trust in someone or something. Believing in something you can't see. Complete trust.

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Meekness: Showing a quiet and gentle nature. Enduring injury with patience and without resentment.

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Temperance: The practice of always controlling your actions, thoughts or feelings.

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It really was any eye opener for me. These are the fruit that we are to bear according to His word. I know that I fall short in many ways.

I pray that God helps me work on my fruit this Summer and every day for the rest of my life.

"Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit."

- Matthew 7:16-17