Sometimes you’re just tired. I’m not talking about not getting enough sleep or sofa time. I mean tired. Mentally and emotionally drained. Work is ok. Family stuff is pretty normal. But something’s just “off”. You know that feeling of emptiness that sometimes creeps in. I’m thinking we can all relate to some degree. We seem to be going through the motions of life but where is the life? The zeal, the vitality….where is it? Is there a place of revival? A resounding Yes! The Lord knows a tuneup is much needed even more than you. A necessary work would be welcomed. But, like climbing a mountain, things may be a little tough for a short while. But the views are certainly worth the climb! Welcome to the Potter’s wheel. This is exactly where revitalization takes place in the lives of God’s children. 

In my walk with the Lord, I have certainly experienced seasons of “wanting”. Not specifically wanting anything but needing an escape if you will. A sense of pressure is felt all over my very being and quite frankly, it’s hard to describe. It’s like wanting to run away and wanting to stay at the same time. The psalmist understood this wanting and described it much better than I ever could. O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. (‭Psalm‬ ‭63‬:‭1‬ ESV) This is certainly a heartfelt plea from a deep place. That’s the key! My soul is thirsty. My very being needs God’s water. I’m a lump of clay in the Potter’s Hand that has gotten dry. He pulls me down from the shelf of life with all the other pottery and lovingly places me on His wheel. The work begins. 

We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. (‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭4‬:‭7‬ NLT) While we walk our earthly walk, we are always being molded and shaped by the Potter. He has us on the wheel for no more than we can endure but the trips to the wheel are a guarantee. He, like any master craftsman, applies pressure where needed. Sometimes the pressure is a little uncomfortable but He knows what He’s doing. Only He knows the impurities that need to be removed. The attitudes, the jealousy, the doubts! He knows what’s in there that’s keeping us from being all we were designed to be. He knows the outcome of the artwork – Declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, “My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.” (‭Isaiah‬ ‭46‬:‭10‬ ESV) We must always remember that we belong to Him. He’s chosen us to be vessels and only He knows what the vessel should be. 

But oh, the water! To mold and shape, it takes water! Yes! This is just the thirst quencher we need. He adds water. Not just any water, His water. On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” (‭John‬ ‭7‬:‭37-38‬ ESV) Oh how we crave this living water. We’re dry. We’ve been striving and are worn down. We’re empty. This is what brought us to the wheel in the first place. He adds the water and continues the process. Part of you wants to be back on the shelf where it’s predictable but there’s the part of you that knows His hands are on you and you’re exactly where you are supposed to be. 

Then there’s the carving! Ouch! This might hurt a little bit. Potters are known to carve intricate details into their art. This gives them beauty and individuality. The Maker is putting His mark on you so the world knows who you belong to. It may sting for just a moment but it’s amazing at the same time. You belong to the Potter and He belongs to you. The very breath in your dust formed body exists because of the Potter. Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person. (‭Genesis‬ ‭2‬:‭7‬ NLT) A living person! Not just to exist and get by. Alive and well, living to be used for your purpose. This is the vitality that visiting the Potter’s wheel will produce. When you return to the shelf with all the other vessels, you’ll be changed. You’ll walk with a bounce in your step and with purpose. His greatness will be shining through you and that living water will be spilling out onto others. 

You cannot spend time in the presence of the Potter and not come out changed for the better. He gives you direction. He carves His very ideas into you. He relaxes us by taking charge of the stress this world has applied. He gives us beauty and richness. And most of all, He quenches our thirst for the very thing(s) that we just couldn’t put our finger on. He slowly returns us to the shelf to go proclaim His goodness. He truly is the living water for the dry clay!

Today’s writer is Brandi Crowe. A hairdresser for over 25 years, she is currently the owner of Brandi Crowe salon in Buford, GA. She loves hiking, a good cup of coffee and spending time with family and friends. Brandi lives in a custom farmhouse with her husband, Robby and cat, Harold.