Once upon a time, there was a couple who entered a beautiful antique store. There they examined a teacup that was the most beautiful teacup they had ever seen. And then a strange thing happened. It began to speak to them.
It said, “I have not always been a teacup. There was a time when I was only a miserable, ugly lump of red and clammy clay. But then my master took me and rolled me, pounded and patted me and I yelled out, ‘Don’t do that. Let me alone.’ But he only smiled and gently said, ‘Not yet!’
“Then, WHAM! I was placed on a spinning wheel and suddenly I was spun around and around. ‘Stop it! I’m getting so dizzy! I’m going to be sick! Please stop.’ But my master only nodded and said quietly, ‘Not yet.’
“As I continued to spin around he poked and prodded and bent me out of shape and then he put me in an oven. I had never felt such heat. I yelled and knocked and pounded on the door. ‘Help me! Get me out of here!’
When I thought I could not bear it another minute, the door opened. He carefully took me out and put me on the shelf, and I began to cool. Oh, it felt so good. But after I cooled, he picked me up again and brushed me and painted me all over. The fumes were horrible. ‘Oh, please, please, quit!’ I cried. He only shook his head and answered, ‘Not yet!’
“Then suddenly he put me back into the oven. It was twice as hot and I thought I would suffocate. I begged. I pleaded. I was convinced I would never make it. Just then the door opened and again I was placed on the shelf to cool and I wondered, What is he going to do to me next?
“An hour later he handed me a mirror and said, ‘Look at yourself, you are now so beautiful.’ ”
And we are shaped, prodded, poked and cooked by life. But we are made in the image of God and we if believe in Him and trust in Him we do become beautiful.
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith…” Hebrews 12:1-3
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