How Earthen Vessels Last Forever

"God never hurries.  There are no deadlines against which he must work.  Only to know this is to quiet our spirits and relax our nerves."  A.W. Tozer

(After reviewing past posts, it seems as though I speak of this one topic often. Forgive me, there is most definitely a good reason...I need to be reminded over and over and over...)

Check this word out:

har·ried--ˈharēd/-adjective--feeling strained  as a result of having demands  persistently made on one; harassed.

Has your week been one of strain?  Persistent demands made on you?  Feeling harassed by the circumstances of daily life?

When the pressure builds up for me, I aim the lens and focus. 

I Shoot.

Heading out the back door at dusk, I spied this feeder, completely useless because the opening is too high for hummers to drink deeply, yet, what I saw inspired me.  Do you see it?  

It's cracked all around.  Yet, it's beautiful, and though it appears broken, it was delicately created in such a way to reflect light.  Here it hangs, glistening...inviting me closer.

This morning, bright sun shone through blurred glass and a mix of joy and sadness welled up in me

How do I really enjoy my life when glass is smeared, smudges block light?  Do the smudges really stop the light or do the tiny fingerprints painted over each other only serve to remind me that, today, right here in my home, His light shines through the dirt, the grime and when I take in that light and embrace it, I am saturated with His glory?

This moment had to be shared...I grab Jenna and we stare. I am sad that in three weeks the potential for more artwork will no longer be around.

There will be a day I wash away these memories.

But NOT today!

How often have we missed seeing the beauty of the world around us?  We are ever in a rush to get somewhere, but if He doesn't rush and we are His, wouldn't we be happier people if we only embraced the Light, slowing down to take it all in?

...but then, what about the times that I have tried to wash away the smudges?  He holds the camera and focuses in on my cracked life: 

I complain in my head, fuss about things that don't really matter in light of eternity, want to be thinner, younger, prettier, have more money, go away by myself (often), get paid to give advice, make my kids love God and serve Him and Me...(no need to go on. You get the message.)

But then, as I sit in the Light, I am undone. Instead of life being a blur, it all comes into focus.  

Oh, the glorious freedom and hope His Word gives!

How grateful, how transforming, how comforting to know:

“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.  For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.”  2 Cor. 4:6-11

There are cracks, smudges, and flaws but His light still shines.  As a matter of fact, the uglier, dirtier things become, the greater His power to manifest His life and shine beauty wherever we go.

Remind yourself this weekend that there is nothing in your life that He can't fashion beauty from.  

Not one thing.