A parable worth considering:
An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole, which she carried across her shoulders.
One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walk from the stream to her home, the cracked pot arrived only half full.
This went on day after day for a full two years, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water.
Of course, the "perfect" pot was full of itself and boasted of it often, but the imperfect pot was ashamed of itself, miserable that it could only do half of what it was designed to do. After two years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman on one of its daily treks to the stream.
"I'm ashamed of myself because this crack in my side causes precious water to leak out all the way to your house."
The old woman smiled tenderly. "Did you notice there are always flowers on your side of the path and not on the other side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted seeds on your side of the path and every day, as we walk back, you keep them watered."
"For two years I have been able to pick beautiful flowers that have decorated the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace this house."
Take heart, broken vessel, chipped and marred by life. For from within you the Lord will bring forth a beauty meant for Him, that will grace His table and bring pleasure to His heart. God gets glory even from cracked pots!
"For we have this treasure in earthen jars, that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us."
(2 Corinthians 4:7)
Thanks! 🙂