The idea-laden Pinterest feed boggled my mind. Who knew there were over 80 uses for a tea cup? It didn’t matter where it was made, which floral motif decorated its exterior, or even if it was part of a matched set. Fine bone china cups could double as lampshades, jewelry holders, curtain tie-backs, or even bird feeders. Was there no end to human ingenuity? Imagination and creativity did not originate with mankind, however. As I thought more about the re-purposed china I began to wonder what the teacup-turned-bird feeder might think about her new situation…. “The indignity! Me, a fine Royal Gorham tea cup, planted in the garden filled with fodder for birds. Of all places! All the pecking and clawing and… ugh! What drops from those pesky winged creatures! I was meant to serve the finest of beverages in the loveliest of settings! Whatever happened to me? My finishes are perfect. My design – impeccable. Somehow I was separated from my peers and ended up here in this drab little corner of a nondescript garden feeding fowl……” Need I go on? That Royal Gorham tea cup knows what she was created for. It’s plainly obvious to her. Her skill set, heritage, and delicate constitution preclude that she would be in a setting of fine dining, elegantly appointed. And it has become painfully evident that she is in the WRONG place. But is she? Purpose and design originate with the Creator. The plan is conceptualized and then materialized, crafted by His hand with a purpose apparent to most, but truly known only to Him. Isaiah 29:16 You turn things around! Shall the potter be considered as equal with the clay, That what is made would say to its maker, "He did not make me"; Or what is formed say to him who formed it, "He has no understanding"? (NASB) The clay’s perspective comes from a small circle spinning so fast she can’t focus on anything outside of herself. She knows what she is made of, and so does The Potter. She senses her optimum beneficial use, and so does The Potter. But the end that seems obvious to the clay is not the full inspired design of The Potter. So then, who is right? Maybe if the teacup’s perspective was refocused she could begin to see what her Creator desired. The birds who come to her for daily sustenance are delighted to be fed from such a beautiful, hand-crafted dispenser. Her presence brightens the forlorn patch of greenery. So delicate, yet she resiliently withstands the storms that sweep through from time to time. She offers water then, when everything else is washed away. A cup turned to Heaven is always ready to be filled, and then, to bless. So, for you, dear mama of little ones: allow the Lord to use your college education to infuse a love for reading in your child while they hear the unhurried love in your voice. Children hear love. For you, young woman occupying the extra seat at the table: cultivate joy and peace in your alone times with the Lord. Satisfy yourself with the company of your true Love. He is the only One who can make you happy. For you, industrious worker in the market place: begin your day as a keeper of a lighthouse checking to make sure the Light you bring to a spiritually dark place can be seen through the lens of your life. You may be the only light who guides a lost soul to safe harbor in Christ. For you, senior delegate in the Body of Christ: As long as you’re drawing breath God delights in using your life as an example of what a humbly devoted Jesus follower looks like. Through thick and through thin, in the good time and the bad, you’ve discovered a timeless testimony of God’s goodness in your life that people need to hear. Welcome venues where your life stories can be heard by those who need to know there is a living hope found only in Jesus Christ. Isaiah 64:8 But now, O LORD, You are our Father, We are the clay, and You our potter; And all of us are the work of Your hand. (NASB)
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Hello! My name is Vicki Johnson, aka, gracefilledgirl. Archives
March 2022
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