Homesteading: A Woman's Journey

The Molding of Clay

08:37, Thursday, November 2, 2006 .. Posted in Personal Thoughts .. 3 comments .. Link

Lately, I have been thinking about years ago when I was in school and learning to work with clay. My teacher had a pottery wheel in the classroom and I couldn't wait for the opportunity to use it. I remember how she first gave us a large clump of red clay. The clay was very hard and we had to condition it through alot of kneading. Sometimes, we would have to literally slap down the clay to get the clay to soften. Once it started to soften, the kneading process would further soften the clay into a mass of pliable, workable clay. Once it reached that stage, we could shape and form the clay into any shape we wanted it to be in. We could then free hand shape and mold the clay, or take it to the pottery wheel and shape it into a vase or bowl. I remember how we had to be very careful as we worked at the pottery wheel, making sure not to thin out the clay too much or it would collapse. Once the vessel was formed, we would very carefully remove it from the wheel and set it to dry on the shelf.   Once it was dry, we would clean away any rough edges before firing it in the kiln to further harden the vessel. Once cooled, we could finish any smoothing out of the rough areas and then paint or glaze the piece. Lastly, firing it one last time to bring out the beauty of the glaze colors.

How often I have felt like that clay in the Lord's hands. When we first learn of Him, we are many times in that raw hard red clay condition. He has to condition us through letting us go through the trials of life. Breaking down the hardness in our lives. Once that is done, He is able to then take us and mold and shape us into the person He wants us to be. He allows us to be tested, feeling the fire of temptation, when we stand firm in living as the Lord desires us to, we are hardened in our resolve to serve Him and be as He wants us to be. He blesses us greatly in our lives. Just as when a potter glazes the pottery, the Lord washes us in blessings when we follow His teachings. As we are tempted to live a life not in harmony with the Lord's teachings, if we stand firm, just as the glazed pottery becomes brilliant with rich colors, our lives will be all the richer. Like the coloring of the glaze on the pottery, the blessings enrich and beautify our life. If we follow Him, our example is a testimony to others of His love and they are drawn to want to learn of Him.

I am so grateful to the Lord for the gentle and sometimes firm molding that He does in my life. The breaking down of the "old self" is never an easy process. It is always painful, sometimes very much so. It is always hard to see yourself as you once were through the eyes of someome who has accepted the Lord in their life. You see the many rough edges that need to be smoothed away. But the Lord is always faithful. He is sovereign and knows what is best for our life. If we trust in Him through the molding process, it goes easier than if we stiffen against it.

Lately, I have felt the Potter's Hands in my life. I have been faced with issues that have really forced me to humble myself before Him. I have always been very independent, doing for myself after learning early in life that I could not rely on help from anyone else.   But the Lord has had different ideas for me. Last Sunday, a group of youth and some adults from our church made the 85 mile journey to our home to have a church service at our home. Afterwards, we had a potluck dinner. There was about 30 people here. After the meal, they broke up into groups and then went to work clearing brush, cutting down small trees, putting up a small pig pen, tilling and fencing in a garden area for my vegetable garden, worked on some plumbing, and put together some bookcases for our pantry. While the guys were outside working, a group of the women were inside with me. I taught them how to bake bread and also to make the flat bread that Joe and I use alot. It was such a wonderful blessing having the help. With my beloved's work schedule, he has very little time to work around the property. The work that the church group did put us months ahead of schedule. Another blessing was when they sorted through our woodpile and stacked all the smaller peices of firewood on the front porch where I could easily get to it to bring into the house. The larger pieces that I cannot easily lift are stacked in another area. What a huge blessing that has been! The weather has turned cold and I no longer have to walk out to the woodpile and sort through it climbing onto the woodpile to find the smaller pieces. There is even several buckets full of hte wood bark that I use to start the fire in the stoves.

It has always been hard for me to humble myself enough to accept help. There were many times in my life when I had asked for help that I desperately needed, only to be turned away. I learned not to trust others, that I could only trust myself. I had also been taught by others in my life that I had to "earn" my place in the family through the work I did. If I couldn't do my chores around the house, I wasn't earning my keep. Now, the Lord has been at work with me. With my health issues, I am having to learn to humble myself and accept the help that is offered. Also to ask for the help that I need. It isn't easy for me. However, I feel so blessed to have the Lord teaching this to me. I am especially grateful that the Lord has blessed us with a church family who not only wanted to help, but did it in a loving way that made me see that they didn't think less of me because I couldn't do the work myself. I thank the Lord each day for giving me the blessing of my beloved, Joe. That the testimony of his example led me to the Lord and to this church family.   When we learn of the Lord and Christ's love, we are taught to be an example of Christ's love. When I want to "see" an example of His love, I only have to look at the church family that we have been so blessed to have in our lives. For me, they are a true example of Christ's love in action. I thank the Lord each day for having them in our lives.

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09:47, Thursday, November 2, 2006 .. Posted by Kitty
What a very inspirational story, thanks for sharing it with us.
Have a great weekend.
Kitty

very touching

09:25, Friday, November 3, 2006 .. Posted by deedee06
Paula, I'm so glad you're feeling better. I have you on my prayer list for healing and encouragement. It looks like the Lord poured out encouragement through your church family. How amazing that your group traveled 85 miles to help you and Joe with things around your property. I wish I could help out too.....now that the snakes are hybernating! I believe that the Lord is bringing healing to you, beginning with your heart. Blessings from Denise (prairiemom)

in the Potters hand

08:00, Tuesday, November 7, 2006 .. Posted by meme21713
Burning the old to make the new is always tough. But what beauty the finished product is...I am glad that the help from the church group was there for you and hubby...What a blessing.. Debbie

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Homesteading: A Woman's Journey

The Molding of Clay

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very touching

in the Potters hand

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