FASHIONED BY THE POTTERExtra from Volume 11#2 |
Fashioned by the Potter
A vain young lady entered a shop To buy a piece of pottery; Many pretty pieces met her eyes Looking like a shiny glazed sea.
She began to shop for a pitcher For a friend she hoped to impress. "Now she will admire me," she said Complacently smoothing her dress.
While looking at one of the pitchers She was startled to hear a voice. At first she thought it was the potter Coming to help her make her choice.
She glanced into her pocket mirror And pushed back a stray wisp of hair. Then she turned to see who had spoken But could not see anyone there.
A moment later she realized that The voice had come from a pitcher. It repeated what it had first said "Don't you think I am prettier?"
The pitcher was white with blue flowers And it was quite prettily made; But it was not any prettier Than the other pitchers displayed.
"You do have nice coloring," she said. "Yes of course," the pitcher replied. "I am very proud of my good looks They could not improve if I tried."
"But, the potter made you," cried the girl, "What right to any pride have you? You should not be taking the credit For something that you did not do."
"Oh, I know the potter seems to think That my looks should bring him credit. But, I am the one who is pretty So I do not understand it."
"Another thing that seems odd to me Is his concern for the inside. Why should it matter if it is clean? I disagree with him," it sighed.
The girl realized that it was useless To argue with it anymore, So she purchased a plain white pitcher And then thoughtfully left the store.
She began to think of her own pride, And thought of how she had no right To be vain of her beautiful looks, Made not by her, but by God's might.
For the very first time in her life She could see her need to be clean, To let God cleanse her on the inside Which matters more than what is seen.
It became clear that to be useful A pure heart is what matters most. And after that she thought less about Her looks of which she used to boast. |
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