The JOY of being a Cracked Pot

A few weeks ago, I changed the background of my blog to the beautiful clay pots that you see.  Reason being, I've been meaning to share this story for a while. I originally heard it my first year as a missioner at the CMC Comissioning Mass with Fr. Michael Bielecki, OSA.  That first year (as well as the second), we used it at the high school as a meditation and guide for the first-year retreat and even had an activity where the students took pieces of pre-broken pots (with one piece missing and one blank) and wrote parts of their journeys and stories on the pieces to symbolize their lives. They then -- very patiently! -- reconstructed the pots and we used them as votive candle holders.

I think every time I read the story, something new hits me-- it's like within its playful simplicity lies an honesty that is surprisingly appropriate to many a situation. I hope it has a message for you in the space you find yourself today.

In addition, one of my favorite musical artists is Jon McLaughlin. He has a powerful song called "Smack Into You." It is a love song-- but I like to think that practically every love song can be seen through the lens of our pursuit of God or God's pursuit of us.  So, if you'd like, listen to the song while reflecting on the story.  A YouTube recording can be found here: "Smack Into You." -JM

The Cracked Pot

- Author Unknown 

A water bearer in the Philippines had two large pots. Each hung on one end of a pole, which she carried across her shoulders. One of the pots had a crack in it, and 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 the master's house.  The cracked pot, on the other hand, arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to her master's house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishment, being perfect to the end for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do. After years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream.

“I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you.”

“Why?” asked the bearer. “What are you ashamed of?”

“I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master's house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value from your efforts,” the pot said. "I'm embarrassed."

The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in her compassion she said, “As we return to the master's house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path.”

Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wildflowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt terribly insecure because it had leaked out half its load, and so again it apologized to the bearer for its failure.

The bearer said to the pot, “Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other pot's side? 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 while we walk back from the stream, you've watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful 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.”


Each of us has our own unique “flaws.” We're all cracked pots. But if we allow it, God will use our flaws to grace the table. As God calls you to the tasks He has appointed for you, don't be afraid of your flaws. Acknowledge them, and allow God to take advantage of them, and you, too, can bring beauty to the pathway.
             
                                                               *      *      *

One of the things I love about this story is that it speaks to many of the questions that I ask myself as well as the negative self-talk that can create (as the desert mothers and fathers would say), a "great cloud of confusion" in our over-analyzing minds. Some include: Am I good enough? Why do I magnify my flaws and downplay my talents? Why am I so overly-apologetic?  But perhaps the one that gets me EVERY TIME is the role that comparison plays in the mind of the cracked pot.  I struggle so much with this, and I'd wager that it's more common than not.  Comparisons can be crippling. They can have the terrible effects of idealizing others and self-rejection.  In order to avoid this, "acknowledge your limitations, but claim your unique gifts and thereby live as an equal among equals." -HN 

The reason I included this song is because both the song and story convey an incredible sense of belonging; coming as you are; and an awareness and embrace of one's journey, wounds, and vulnerabilities that is so crucial to recognizing ourselves as God's beloved ones. That, along with the lyrics of "love is right in my path, in my grasp// and me and you belong// and I want to run smack into you" is just SO CLEAR to me: running to that place of belonging, that place of solitude and embrace, that place of acceptance for all that we are- nothing more and nothing less- is found within staking our identity as children of God.  Plus, Paul would really like the image of running (See Hebrews 12:1).

Another thing I find of note about this story is that the way it is narrated automatically asks the listener or reader to see him or herself in the place of the cracked pot. Naturally, this makes for deep personal reflection and insight.  After we think and pray over that image, however: 
                         What if we switch our attention to the image 
                                  of the water bearer? 

How are we called to go from recognizing ourselves in the cracked pot and then moved to action in the person of the water bearer? What does she have to teach us? Not only did she recognize how the "flaw" had the potential to be GIFT, but she ACTED upon it. Furthermore, she illustrates a NON-COMPETITIVE NATURE and say that the broken pot was therefore better than the full one--  without saying it, she implied that the different gifts were BOTH of different value, yet still needed for the master. BOOM. There you have it: the Mystical Body of Christ and the value of Many Spiritual Gifts (See 1 Corinthians 12).  Another thing that the water bearer embodies is PATIENCE: for two years she prepared and silently waited for the gift of the cracked pot to recognize its gift. It needed to be unearthed in the same way that understanding ourselves and the way we were created to be comes through time and patience.

In conclusion, I couldn't help but realize that this story talks about solitude, community, and ministry. The movement from claiming our "broken pot-ness" in solitude with our Creator moves us to complete the community and then act in our own ministries.  Wow, I'm starting to think all my posts always go back to Nouwen. This article really has colored my life (Thanks, Gina!): Moving from Solitude To Community To Ministry

Peace to you and your families!
-Mish

Image from: http://anandyatri.com/?p=274