The Teacup

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The Teacup.

There was a couple who used to go to England to shop in the beautiful

stores. They both liked antiques and pottery and especially teacups. This

was their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. One day in a lovely shop they

saw a beautiful teacup. They said, "May we see that? We've never seen one

quite so beautiful." As the lady handed it to them, the teacup suddenly

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 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. 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. Stop it! I cried. He only nodded,

'Not yet.'"

"Then suddenly he put me back into the oven, not like the first one. This

one 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 ever 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 would 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 had not put you there, you would have cracked. I know the

fumes were bad when I brushed and painted you all over, but, if I had not

done that, you never would have hardened; you would not have had any color

in your life. And, if I had not put you back in that second oven, you

would not have survive for very long; because the hardness would not haveheld.

Now you are a finished product.

You are what I had in mind when I first began with you.'"

Jeremiah 18:1-6

1 The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

2 Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee

to hear my words.

3 Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a

work on the wheels.

4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the

potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter

to make it.

5 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

6 O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the

LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand,

O house of Israel.

God knows what He's doing (for all of us). He is the Potter, we are His

clay. He will mold us and make us, so that we may be made into a flawless

piece of work to fulfill His good, pleasing, and perfect will.

Author unknown