Two years ago I started taking pottery classes. It was something I had always wanted to do since my college days. Now I had the time and financial resources to do it. By the second class, I was hooked and I haven’t stopped. 

Working on the potters wheel is much more difficult than it looks and not as romantic as the scene in the movie “Ghost”. In order to have a beautifully finished piece, the clay must be centered. “Centering” can be achieved with various techniques so the key was figuring out which way worked for me. Some days I do it great and other days I struggle. 

Recently, my instructor Rebecca, asked me what I thought, was an unusual question. “Donna, did you have critical parents?”

“No, I had very loving and supportive parents.”

“Then where does the self criticism come from? You are so hard on yourself. You are so focused on your vision of the end product that you are not enjoying the process. Clay is meant to be fun. You need to learn how to play with clay!”

As we talked, I explained I had a 40+ year career in the medical field. My job required me to be accurate and precise for the safety and care of the patients. I’m very “left brain”. I’m analytical and linear in my thinking. But I’ve realized I need to develop my right brain as well. I want to become more creative and expand my imagination. I want to enjoy the process. I want to learn to play!

I thought about what Rebecca said for several days. I realized that in many aspects of my life I am focused on my vision of the end product. I concentrate so much on every detail that I often miss out on the fun along the way. But like a ball of clay on the wheel, I need to be centered before I can become anything else. 

Jesus is what centers me. He keeps me strong yet allows me to bend. When I listen and follow Him, He shapes me into a better design. Just as I use tools to trim my clay pieces, He trims me with forgiveness, grace and mercy. As He lives in my heart, His love light shines through me. I am the clay and He is the potter.

So when the next session of pottery classes begins in a week, my goal is to keep myself centered in Jesus and practice getting better at playing. I want to enjoy the process with my clay mates!

“…my chosen ones will long enjoy the works of their hands.” Isaiah 65:22 NIV

“So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.” Jeremiah 18:3-4 NIV

“…We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hands.” Isaiah 64:8 NIV