Pottery Lesson

I have been struggling over the past 8 months with osteoarthritis in my hands. I developed what is called a trigger thumb on my left hand. This condition can occur in any of the fingers. It is the result of an inflammation of the tendon which is responsible for allowing the ligaments to slide smoothly back and forth when our fingers are flexed. When the the tendon becomes irritated the ligaments catch and "trigger" causing a popping sound and subsequent pain. There are a number of different interventions to treat the problem. After consulting with a rheumatologist and receiving some initial treatments including a cortisone injection to reduce the swollen tendon, I was subsequently referred to an Occupational Therapist. During my time with the O.T. my thumb was initially placed in a splint to allow the tendon to rest and heal. However, my thumb became stiff as a result of inactivity and I was unable to bend it. I was then given a number of different exercises to help strengthen the thumb and improve flexibility. One of the exercises involved using therapeutic putty. The consistency of the putty is strong enough to be able to stretch and squeeze but not without challenging my thumb to work hard. The use of the putty reminded me of the Scriptures that speak of God as the Potter and we human beings as the clay. Isaiah 64:8 declares, "Yet You, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, You are the potter; we are all the work of Your hand."(NIV) 

WE ARE GOD'S HANDIWORK

Have you ever seen a potter working clay? The process involves working and reworking the clay until the initial formless mass is turned into a beautiful masterpiece. However, to create a work of art is a process that requires a lot of physical labor. Ephesians 2:10 states, "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (NIV) That word "handiwork" literally means "work of art." God is the Master Potter and we are the clay. God wants to transform us into a masterpiece but unlike the physical working of clay, God's process is one of working on us from the inside out. He is molding our spirits to ultimately become a work of art that reflects Jesus Christ. In other words, people need to be able to look at us and identify the "artist" as God. If physical clay could speak it would probably protest the pulling and pushing and shaping it is experiencing. It may want to be content to remain as a lifeless, formless, lump of clay. However, the potter knows it can become so much more once it is completed and people come to know the potter through their finished work. Likewise, when God is shaping us, we can complain as the process of being transformed closer to the image of God's Son is not always easy and at times painful. Isaiah 29:16 states, "You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, "You did not make me?" Can the pot say to the potter, "You know nothing?" (NIV) 

WE ARE GOD'S MASTERPIECE

It's easy in the midst of struggles to believe we can solve the problem without God's help and guidance. However, we did not create ourselves and God knows us better than we know ourselves or are known by others because He created us. I am praying that my thumb will regain its flexibility and strength. Physical healing will only come through discipline and hard work. Our spiritual challenge is to trust God, the Master Potter, in the midst of the "shaping and molding" process. To trust that even though we don't know what the finished product will look like, God does, and we will be a masterpiece!
To God be the glory!
Pastor Sheree