Have you heard the story of the cracked water pot? A water bearer had two large pots, each hung on opposite ends of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full pot of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master’s house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. For a full two years this went on, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots of water to his master’s house. Of course, the perfect pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was only able to accomplish half its task.
After two years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream, saying, “I am ashamed on myself, and I want to apologise to you.” “Why?” asked the bearer. “What are you ashamed of?” The pot replied “For these past two years, I have been able to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to the house.” The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and said, “As we return to the master’s house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path.” So, as they went up the hill, the cracked pot noticed the sun warming the beautiful flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it a little.
But at the end of the trail, it still felt had and apologised again because it had leaked out half its load. The bearer said to the pot: “Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path. That’s because I have always known about your flaw and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path and every day you’ve watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these lovely flowers to decorate my master’s table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house.”
Are you a cracked pot? I wonder how many flowers you have produced along the path of life. I wonder if I’ve produced any. May the beauty of Jesus be seen in me Lord. Amen