THE CRACKED POT
Chackochan was a water bearer,lived in a highrange village of South India, who had two large pots to carry the water. They hung on each end of a pole which he carried across his neck, but 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 the master's house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. For two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots of water to his master's house.
Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, 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 two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to Chackochan one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you."
"Why?" asked Chackochan. "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.
In his compassion, the water bearer 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 wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again it apologized Chackochan for its failure.
Chackochan 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."
It is an amazing thing (but true) that God is able to accomplish some wonderful things through our efforts, in spite of our imperfections. Paul said of his role as a preacher of the gospel: "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us." (2 Cor. 4:7).
Though we may often feel inadequate and useless, if we will continue about the task that God has given us, we'll produce fruit and influence lives in ways we may not even be aware of.
Some may think they are everything, and they have everything, as perfect pot. But there are many cracked pots are here. Broken hearted. Lord, till the end of the last piece of this cracked port (last breath of our life), make use of it for your glory.
"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord." (I Cor. 15:58).
May your life "abound" this day in the work of the Lord! Though you may feel like a "cracked pot", your efforts are not in vain.
