Musings at Altitude

Today’s sermon was from Jeremiah 18 – these particular verses:

“Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause you to hear My words.”  Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something at the wheel.  And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make.

Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying:  “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?” says the Lord.  “Look, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel!”

What powerful verses and what incredible imagery.  God takes the marred clay which each of us is and remolds us into a specific vessel for His specific purpose.

I’d like to take that specific vision of our Creator taking that imperfect vessel and reshaping it into something of beauty and overlay that vision on business.  In business, we too metaphorically create some pots, buy some pots, or inherit some pots, and those that are flawed, we reshape on our own potter’s wheel into vessels that benefit and drive the business forward.  Some business leaders are incredible potters and know how to use that potter’s wheel to perfection.  They take lumps in some cases, imperfect vessels in others, and sometimes perfect vessels but wrong vessels for the particular need and shape all of them into the vessels that are needed to achieve the dramatic results that are expected from the business at that particular time.  Other business leaders though are far from potters with very little creativity at all.  Those that are less than creative but still good leaders fill their team with others that can “spin that potter’s wheel” and shape the people and thus the company into what is needed to achieve business success.  They too use the skills of those master craft’s people to fill the shelves with as nearly a perfect mix of specifically created vessels to meet the needs of the business.

We are all, in some form or fashion, clay that is being shaped into what is needed for our specific purpose.  In the hands of our Creator, we are shaped and formed to serve Him by serving others.  In the hands of our business leaders, we are shaped as program managers, business developers, bill payers, people managers, or a wide range of other specifically needed talents that fill particular needs at particular times.  Regardless of age, level of experience, or role in the organization, as the business changes, our roles change, and we’re reshaped to be the right vessel for the role that is needed.

I’m awed by our Creator and His wonderful hands that shape us, remove our flaws, and perfect us as the vessels that are then filled to overflowing with His love.  I’m also awed by those business leaders that take a team and mold them, overcome their shortcomings, and achieve dramatic results through the hands on work they do in shaping each one of us.

I’m grateful for the patience and forgiveness of our Creator as He works in amazing ways to mold me into who He expects me to be.

I’m also grateful in a very different but also meaningful way to those business leaders who have taken an interest in me throughout the years and patiently (sometimes fervently) shaped me into what they need in order to achieve business success.

Here’s to the clay that we each are and the very meaningful vessels we each become!