O Lord, you are our father; we are the clay and you the potter: we are all the work of your hands. Isaiah 64:7
This verse from Isaiah always leads me back to the second account of creation in Genesis. God created man out of clay and breathed life into him. We are all constantly being formed and reformed, given new life with every breath God breathes into our souls. What we are not, is always aware of this grace. God's work is not generally instantaneous, which can definitely be a struggle in this fast-food world. Much like the work of a master artist, the work is slow, sometimes painstaking, and sometimes...well, let's face it, sometimes it needs revision and fixing as cracks appear, or as our purpose changes.
Take St. Jane Frances de Chantal, whose memorial day is observed in the U.S. today. The Lord led her first to the life of wife and mother. Yet, after the death of her husband, she was transformed by the preaching of St. Francis de Sales and went on later in her life to found the Visitation nuns and established 85 monasteries before her death. God is constantly molding us in our environment, as our situation changes, so might the way in which we are called to serve Him.
Regardless of how much work we may need, we should rest assured that God continues to work on us, to refine us, to purify us, whether we are immediately aware or not. If we let the Spirit of God into our lives, if we are open to the work of the Lord in our hearts, the transformation can be magnificent, though it may only be in hindsight that we see a glimpse of what a masterpiece He is creating. Looking back over the recent past, can we see how God is molding us? Are there instances where it is clear that he has patched us up or reshaped us for something new?
Want some music to help you reflect? Check out this song by Christian artists, Caedmon's Call:
HANDS OF THE POTTER by Caedmon's Call
Lord if i'm the clay
Then i've been left out in the sun
Cracked and dry, like the mud from the sty
Still clinging to the prodigal son
But I'm on my way back home
Yes I'm on my way back home
Into the hands (into the hands)
That made wine (wine) from the water
Into the hands (into the hands)
The hands of the potter
Lord if i'm the clay then
Let your living water flow
Soften up my edges, lord,
So everyone will know
But i'm on my way back home
Yes i'm on my way back home...
And Lord, when you listen for the song of my life
Let it be, let it be, a song so sweet
Let it be, let it be, a song so sweet
Let it be...
Lord, if i'm the clay then lay me down
On your spinning wheel
Shape me into something you can fill
With something real
And I'll be on my way back home
Yes i'm on my way back home
Take St. Jane Frances de Chantal, whose memorial day is observed in the U.S. today. The Lord led her first to the life of wife and mother. Yet, after the death of her husband, she was transformed by the preaching of St. Francis de Sales and went on later in her life to found the Visitation nuns and established 85 monasteries before her death. God is constantly molding us in our environment, as our situation changes, so might the way in which we are called to serve Him.
Regardless of how much work we may need, we should rest assured that God continues to work on us, to refine us, to purify us, whether we are immediately aware or not. If we let the Spirit of God into our lives, if we are open to the work of the Lord in our hearts, the transformation can be magnificent, though it may only be in hindsight that we see a glimpse of what a masterpiece He is creating. Looking back over the recent past, can we see how God is molding us? Are there instances where it is clear that he has patched us up or reshaped us for something new?
Want some music to help you reflect? Check out this song by Christian artists, Caedmon's Call:
HANDS OF THE POTTER by Caedmon's Call
Lord if i'm the clay
Then i've been left out in the sun
Cracked and dry, like the mud from the sty
Still clinging to the prodigal son
But I'm on my way back home
Yes I'm on my way back home
Into the hands (into the hands)
That made wine (wine) from the water
Into the hands (into the hands)
The hands of the potter
Lord if i'm the clay then
Let your living water flow
Soften up my edges, lord,
So everyone will know
But i'm on my way back home
Yes i'm on my way back home...
And Lord, when you listen for the song of my life
Let it be, let it be, a song so sweet
Let it be, let it be, a song so sweet
Let it be...
Lord, if i'm the clay then lay me down
On your spinning wheel
Shape me into something you can fill
With something real
And I'll be on my way back home
Yes i'm on my way back home
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