The Cracked Pot

An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which she carried across her shoulders behind her neck.   She carried them daily to a small stream about 2 miles from her home.  One of the pots was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water, but the other pot had a crack in it.  At the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.
Daily for two years this went on, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water.

Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. 

But the cracked pot ashamed of its own imperfection was miserable that it could only do half the job the perfect pot did. 

After two years of what it perceived as bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream.  “I’m ashamed of myself, because of this crack in my side, water leaks out all the way back to your house.”
The old woman smiled, “Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path?  There aren’t any growing on the other side of the path.  Do you know why?”  She continued, ” I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them.
For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table.  Without you being just the way you are, there would not be the beauty of these flowers to grace the home everyday.”    (an old Chinese proverb, author unknown–with edits by Streim)

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Each of us has our own unique flaw.  But it’s the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding.  We just have to take each person for who they are and look for the good in them.

In 1 Samuel 16:7 the Lord was speaking to Samuel about David’s youth and small stature.

“But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

We would all do well to listen with “ears that hear” to our Almighty God’s words. 

Show the world your love for the Lord Jesus Christ by never judging, but always accepting the imperfections of others, for there is none among us who is perfect!  

Romans 3: 10 As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one;