Yes, Lord!

Jeremiah 18:1-4

The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “Come, go down to the potter’s house, and there I will let you hear my words.” 3 So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel. 4 The vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as seemed good to him. 

5 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 6 Can I not do with you, O house of Israel, just as this potter has done? says the Lord.

The vessel he was making was spoiled, and he reworked it  . . .  Can I not do with you as the potter has done?  

I said “Yes, Lord! You did that with me!”   Having said that, a fragment of a song came into my head, so I had to go search for it on YouTube.  I found a really cute lip-synced dance version done by Young Adults from Southland Church - an Asian American congregation in Anaheim, CA.   The full chorus says:

  

“I’m trading my sorrows.  I’m trading my shame.  

I’m trading my sickness. I’m trading my pain . . . for the joy of my Lord. 

Yes, Lord.  Yes, Lord.  Yes, yes, Lord!  (3x) 

Amen” 

And again I said “Yes!”  This is my story!  This is what I did!  God took clay - me - and began to mold me into the person he wanted me to be. Then things went wrong, I went the wrong way, and God had to rework me.  It took a while.  I tend to be stubborn (surprise!) and I resisted for a long time.

Working with clay is like that.  Sometimes you have to start over several times, maybe adding some water to make the clay more malleable. But eventually, the clay will take the shape you want it to, and become whatever you had in mind all along.   As God did with me.  

Creator God, thank you for having the patience to continue working with us even when we are not cooperating.  Thank you for the reminders that we are not in charge - you are.  Thank you for giving us the opportunity to say “Yes, Lord!”  Amen.