On The Potters Wheel

The Clay by Ron DiCianni

Daily I have been involved in a study titled "The Lord's Table - A Biblical Approach to Weight Management" authored by Mike Cleveland. I first heard about this study in 2012 by a friend who has her doctorate degree and counseling ministry. She was leading the study in another city which was too far to travel so I requested she send me a copy. In 2012 I was overweight, began the study only to be interrupted by the busyness of life.

Now fast forward to 2018 I have picked up the study again having a desire to know more about it. Ironically, my desire was peaked not due to being overweight since I am down 38 pounds having accomplished this by changing the foods I eat and exercising, but mostly since I was having some gut issues. Most likely my problem was stemmed from foods that weren't agreeing with me and stress.

Possibly I thought, and very much feeling led to go find the study that was in my bookcase, I might obtain new found knowledge, wisdom and insight as to how to resolve the physical concerns that I was experiencing.

The subject of the first chapter was surrounded around the scripture I Corinthians 10:31 - "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." Notice it doesn't speak about the foods we eat, but about honoring and glorifying God. In order to glorify God we must be wise with the amount of food we eat, and choose to eat wholesome food, food that God created that nourishes our body.  Further in the study it speaks about overindulgence, and some possible reasons why we indulge. There is a balancing act of eating foods to nourish our body, but yet not to be given to gluttony. Also, if we think of eating to glorify God, wisdom then encourages us to avoid certain foods that are not healthy, that promotes disease or foods that don't agree with us.

As I mentioned above losing more weight is not my purpose for participating in the study. It is the want to find other nuggets of wisdom that I can apply in other areas of my life. In I Corinthians 10:31 it states to glorify God in all that we do. Introspectively, I have learned that I haven't allowed myself to be totally moldable by God. Isaiah 64:8 - "And yet, O Lord you are our Father, We are the clay and you are the potter. We all are formed by your hand."  Jeremiah 18:2-4 "This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: "Go down to the potter's house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him." When I apply these words to my daily walk I realize I haven't totally let loose of my own agenda, not always giving and willing to glorifying God. I have a strong heart desire to do so but many days I trip. Fortunately, God doesn't give up on us. He takes the spoiled, marred, ruined vessels that he chooses not to set aside or discard in favor of those that emerge perfectly. They were remade! God can mend cracked pots. So I strive to learn how to keep my focus on God, be thankful and trust God even when all seems upside down, stressful, hard or difficult.

Debbie Prgybgeski wrote an in depth devotional titled "Clay on the Potter's Wheel". https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/prayer/clay-on-the-potters-wheel.html

On the humorous side in an effort to keep my hands out of the bag of tortilla chips at times when I am feeling bored I am reminded of Chaucer who penned in c. 1386 in his 'Tale of Melibee' "Idle hands are the devil's tools" (Proverbs 16:27 "Idle hands are the devil's workshop.) to pick up my quilt and finish it.

Go here to see my latest - Quilt in progress

The link below is a quilt block that I created June 2013 which is still driving traffic to my blog.

Dresden Block
Blog message on Dresden Block

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