"The Tea Cup"

There was a couple who used to go England to shop in a beautiful antique store. This trip was to celebrate their25th wedding anniversary. They both liked antiques and pottery, and especially teacups. Spotting an exceptional cup, they asked,"May we see that? We've never seen a cup quite so beautiful."As the lady handed it to them, the tea cup spoke."You don't understand," it said, "I have not always been a tea cup.

There was a time when I was just a lump of red clay. My master took me and rolled me pounded and patted me over and over and I yelled out, 'Don't do that. I don't like it! Let me alone,' but he only smiled, and gently said,'Not yet!'"Then. WHAM! I was placed on a spinning wheel and suddenly I was spun around and around and around. 'Stop it! I'm getting so dizzy!I'm going to be sick!', I screamed But the master only nodded and said, quietly, 'Not yet.'"He spun me and poked and prodded and bent me out of shape to suit himself and then....then he put me in the oven. I never felt such heat. I yelled and knocked and pounded at the door.'Help! Get me out of here!'

I could see him through the opening and I could read his lips as he shook his head from side to side, 'Not yet.'"When I thought I couldn't bear it another minute,the door opened. He carefully took me out and put me on the shelf, and I began to cool. 'Oh,that felt so good! Ah, this is much better,' I thought.But, after I cooled he picked me up and he brushed and painted me all over. The fumes were horrible. I thought I would gag. 'Oh,please; stop it, stop it!!' I cried. He only shook his head and said. 'Not yet!'"Then suddenly he put me back in to the oven. Only it was not like the first one. This was twice as hot and I just knew I would suffocate. I begged. I pleaded. I screamed. I cried. I was convinced I would never make it. I was ready to give up."Just then the door opened and he took me out and again placed me on the shelf, where I cooled and waited and waited, wondering, What's he going to do to me next?

An hour later he handed me a mirror and said 'Look at yourself.' And I did."I said, ' That's not me; that couldn't be me. It's beautiful I'm beautiful!'"Quietly he spoke: 'I want you to remember, then,'he said, 'I know it hurt to be rolled and pounded and patted, but had I just left you alone, you'dhave dried up. I know it made you dizzy to spin around on the wheel, but if I had stopped, you would have crumbled.I know it hurt and it was hot and disagreeable in the oven, but if I hadn't put you there, you would have cracked. I know the fumes were bad when I brushed and painted you all over, but if I hadn'tdone that, you never would have hardened. You would not have had any color in your life. If I hadn't put you back in that second oven, you wouldn't have survived for long because the hardness would not have held. Now you area finished product. Now you are what I had in mind when I first began with you.'"

God knows what He's doing in each of us. He is the potter, and we are His clay. He will mold us and make us, and expose us to just enough pressures of just the right kinds that we maybe made into a flawless piece of work to fulfill His good, pleasing and perfect will. So when life seems hard, and you are being pounded and patted and pushed almost beyond endurance; when your world seems to be spinning out of control; when you feel like you are in a fiery furnace of trials; when life seems to "stink", try this:Brew a cup of your favorite tea in your prettiest tea cup, sit down, and have a little talk withthe Potter.

God has a plan for each of our lives, and it may not be the plan we desire at the time. God will help us get through the ruff times you can count on it! Trials are meant to happen in our lives. Think about it if life was easy would you do what you wanted or what God wants you to do. God gives us choices and we have a choice to do the right or wrong thing. Hopefully your choices are pleasing to God!