Pottery and Docility

This week, the idea of being docile to the movings of the Holy Spirit in my life has really been playing a major theme.  As I slowly discern what is next, there a many roadblocks that seem to be appearing.  So many at times that I feel like I can barely see the road ahead.  But with trust in the Lord, I continue to journey forward with a knowing that He will guide me.  And I also have a firm understand that God is transforming me, moment by moment as I accept His will for me.  He is working in my heart as I offer more and more of it to Him.  

As I was reading one of my daily Lenten reflections, I came across Jeremiah 18: 3-6

I went down to the potter’s house and there he was, working at the wheel.  

Whenever the object of clay which he was making turned out badly in his hand, 

he tried again, making of the clay another object of whatever sort he pleased.  

Then the word of the Lord came to me: 

Can I not do to you, house of Israel, as this potter has done? says the Lord.  

Indeed, like clay in the hands of the potter, so are you in my hand.

The Potter: What a beautiful image, although I have heard it a million times. “God is the potter and we are the clay.” So many times I have heard it!  But today, the thought of what it means to be good clay sprang into my mind.  The clay isn’t dried out.  It isn’t crumbling.  At the same time, it isn’t so wet that it won’t hold a form either.  It is good.  It has great docility.  It doesn’t have any resistance to the potter. It’s not fighting against what He wants of it.  It allows Him to work and rework it over and over again into whatever sort he pleased. We need to humble ourselves, surrender our will, and be completely docile to the transformation that the Lord is trying to make in us.  If we resist, we will turn out badly.  But our loving Father, even when we have turned out badly, will continue to work in us to rework our souls if we let Him.

My prayer is that we all learn to become docile clay in the Divine Creator’s hands.  That we will trust that He is working great miracles in our hearts.  That we will humble ourselves to give our will over to His.  For His will for us is love itself.