I know that there are many of you, that know me have heard this. I read it often. It makes me feel better. I hope you think about & enjoy it. It gives me HOPE.There was a couple who use to go to England to shop in the beautiful stores. They both liked antiques and pottery and especially teacups. This was their 25th wedding anniversary. One day in this beautiful shop they saw a beautiful teacup. They said, "May we see that? We've never seen one quite so beautiful."
As a lady handed it to them, suddenly the teacup spoke.
"You don't understand," it said. "I haven't always been a teacup. There was a time when I was red & I was clay. My master took me and rolled me & patted me over & over & I yelled out, 'let me alone, but he only smiled, 'Not yet.'
"Then I was placed on a spinning wheel," the teacup said, "and suddenly I was spun around & around & around. Stop it! I'm getting dizzy! I screamed. But the master only nodded & said , 'not yet'.
"Then he put me in the oven. I never felt such heat. I wandered why he wanted to burn me, & yelled & knocked on the door. I could see him through the opening & I could read his lips as he shook his head, 'Not yet.' Finally the door opened, he put me on the shelf , & I began to cool off. 'There, that's better,' I said. And he brushed me & painted me all over. The fumes were horrible. I thought I would gag. 'Stop it, Stop it!' I cried. He only nodded, 'Not yet.' Then he suddenly put me back in the oven, not like the first one. This one was twice as Hot & I knew I would suffocate. I begged I pleaded. I screamed. I cried. All the time I could see him through the opening nodding his head & saying, 'Not yet'.
Then I knew there wasn't any hope. I would never make it. I was ready to give up. But the door opened & he took me out & placed me on a shelf. One hour later he handed me a mirror & said, 'Look at yourself.' And I did. I said, 'That's not me; that couldn't be me. It's beautiful. I'm beautiful.' I want you to remember, then, he said, "I know it hurts to be rolled & patted, but if I had left you alone, you'd have dried up. I know it made you dizzy to spin around on the wheel, but if I would have stopped you would have crumbled. I knew it was hot & disagreeable to be in the oven, but if I hadn't put you there you would have cracked. I know the fumes were bad when I brushed & painted you all over, but if I hadn't done that, you never would have hardened; you would not have any color in your life. And if I hadn't put you back in the oven, you wouldn't survive very long because the hardness would have not held.
Now you are a finished product.
You are what I had in mind when I first began with you.
7 comments:
i love that and i have my teacup you gave me on my hutch in the piano room. i love that and the story that goes along with it. beautiful.
That is such a wonderful story. It is so true. Many times in life I think why am I going through this or why can't I just have what I want right now and I realize life experiences mold us, make us grow, and change. Heavenly Father will answer prayers and give us things when we are prepared and the timing is right.
Your teacup story reminds me of the scripture in Isaiah where Jehovah is referred to as a potter. (Isa 64:8; 45:9-12) Our Heavenly Father used clay and formed it into a valuable life. (Gen 2:7) He designed our body and when we stop and think about the human body,we like the pslamist say, "we are wonderfully made" (Ps 138:14) We had no choice in our design, but because we are endowed with free will we can choose who molds our thinking. Romans 12:2 reminds us to "quit being fashioned (molded) after this system of things" Why is this warning recorded? The answer is found at Rev. 12:9; also, 1 John 5:19. We can be molded by Jehovah himself,it we let him. Our attitude plays a big role in our being molded by God. Humility comes from the word, Humus, for red clay -moldable, pliable. We want to develop a humble attitude before our Creator. This will enable us to pay attention to his guidance. How? By embedding God's thoughts into our memories. Yes, we need to read God's words regularly. And to plant in our hearts the attitude displayed by the writer of Ps 119:12-16) When we use the Bible to scrutinize ourselves and who we are on the inside, then we can adjust ourselves to be in line with Bible principals, this will draw us closer to our Heavenly Father. (Eze 18:25-28) When we continue to meditate on God's word, it allows us to have God's thoughts in our minds! What a wonderful privilege. If we resist correction, we harden ourselves, and like hard dry clay, we would not be pliable in our Creators hands, but be in danger of being molded by Satan's world. My dear sister, I hope these words are encouraging to you, as your thoughts do stimulate me. Love Ronna
Thank you Ronna, for understanding, & enlightening me, & validating my feelings. Thank you.
What a nice story. I've never heard it before. Sometimes it is hard to remember that there is always a bigger picture to look at when hard times fall us, but Heavenly Father always knows the bigger picture. If we put our faith in him and trust in his all knowing power things WILL always work out in the end.
Dad and I, Thank you, again for the cup and saucer (from Grandma Cris's dish set)and Teacup story.
We can relate to the story and Ronna's scripture references are very uplifting and a guide to all of us.
Dad and I, Thank you, again for the cup and saucer (from Grandma Cris's dish set)and Teacup story.
We can relate to the story and Ronna's scripture references are very uplifting and a guide to all of us.
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