Most pots think they are smart. They are mistaken. There are pots that think they are smarter than most other pots. This may be true, but in the end it can be to their disadvantage. Most pots believe they are special. This is also true, but it, too, can be a disadvantage. The pots who think they are smarter than others who also think they are more special than other pots are in real trouble. The problem is that these pots tend to think deeply about certain subjects, and are impressed with themselves about this ability. This might be humorous, seeing, after all that they are in fact just pots, if the consequences were not so tragic. When a pot is given some measure of awareness of the Truth by the Potter the pot may think it sees much more of the Truth than it does, in fact, see. This leads to a bit of self-importance: “Listen to ME! I have Truth!” The self-importance in turn leads to a focus on ones self. This is a bad thing for pots. When a pot focuses on itself it may forget its purpose, not to mention the fact that the pot has now become more concerned with itself than the world of Truth it has only begun to explore.
In the case of the pot of the previous story the combination of some Truth with self-absorption led to the pot seeing that, yes, he was wretched and vile. This pot focused on this until he could no longer see that there was still a lot of Truth out there that he simply couldn’t fathom. After all, he was a smart pot, right? He was a special pot – the Potter had given the ability to see some Truth, right? The pot became entangled in a circle of himself.
Pots like this must be broken, in much the same way that a Shepherd will break the leg of a “smart” sheep that keeps wandering away from the safety of the Shepherd and the rest of the flock. The Shepherd will then care for the sheep until it has healed and learned its lesson. Amazingly, the Potter can heal broken pots. Not-so-smart pots just accept this and joyfully embrace the healing. Smart pots, however, know that you can’t heal a broken pot. It is forever ruined. This is Truth as they know it.
But these are the smart pots! They can see that the not-so-smart pots got healed! The contradiction is unbearable. Some simply refuse to believe the not-so-smart pots got healed. Some refuse to look – out of sight, out of mind. And then some just can’t let it go, and worry the subject to death.
This was the case of our shattered pot. He had seen some Truth. He realized more was out there. So what was the difference between himself and those not-so-smart pots? Many of them had not seen the Truths he had seen – and yet they were healed and happy.
The Potter in His wisdom knew that this “smart” pot was overly concerned with himself, rather than being about the business the Potter had created him for. The Potter knew that, eventually, this pot would be humbled enough to see the Truth about himself and why he ended up shattered and almost useless.
The pot was stuck and he knew it. He wallowed around in his misery, feeling sorry for himself for so long that he became sickened by it. He had to look elsewhere – at something than his own tragic self. He saw the not-so-smart pots that had been healed. He saw their joy. He saw their trust in the Potter. TRUST! That was the difference! They had more trust in the Potter! The broken pot was ashamed. But he also saw hope for himself. Maybe he, too, could trust the Potter enough to be healed, even though, as a smart pot he knew that you just can’t heal a broken pot. So that was it. The broken pot realized that with all the Truth he knew about, he never knew that even shattered pots can be healed. He had known that his lack of trust had caused the whole problem from the beginning, and now he knew that only by trusting the Potter more could his problem ever be solved. Only trust could save him. He looked to the Potter instead of himself. He asked the Potter for more trust (which some call faith) rather than more intelligence or a better place or more self control or more insight or anything else.
The Potter smiled and started fitting the broken remains of the little pot back together. It was a process that would take some time. There would be scars left to remind the pot of his ordeal and to keep him humble. The pot knew that if he kept his eyes on the wise and merciful Potter, instead of himself, he would be healed.
Isaiah 55
6 ¶ Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.
8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD.
9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.
10 “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater,
11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
12 “For you shall go out with joy, And be led out with peace; The mountains and the hills Shall break forth into singing before you, And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
