Clay Pots...

"Yet, O Lord, you are the Father.  We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand." - Isaiah 64:8

I once heard a story about some of the earliest of settler's in the praire's and old west.  When the settler's first arrived to the west they found that it was hard to get water from the ground.  So they took it upon themselves to make cistern's out of clay.  They would then take these clay cistern's and bury them into the ground.  The hope would be that the rain water would collect into these underground cistern's and they could get fresh water out of them.
Unfortunately, more times than not, the clay cistern's would bring or crack.  This allowed dirt, mud, and water to creep in.  Eventually the water would go from fresh to murky or dark muddy substance.  I can imagine this didn't sit well with those first settler's.
We as humans like to be in control of our lives.  If someone handed me a lump of clay and said I had two choices, either make a clay cistern for myself or have them make it, I'd probably do it myself.  Unfortunately, I'm not very good at make anything out of clay.  So I would have to rely on someone else to make my clay cistern for me.  Otherwise, I'd end up with cracks and then the murky water would creep in.
This is no different then our relationship with God.  If we allow God to be the potter in our life then we can rest assure that the cracks will be repaired or they will never appear.  It's when we try and control life that we begin to see the murky water. 
Are you allowing God to be your potter or are you still trying to control everything?  Given the choice, would you rather drink from a cistern of fresh water or murky water?  Why not drink from the Living Well of Jesus Christ today by allowing Him to be your potter.

Dear Jesus,
Take our lives that we try to control and show us that giving you control is okay.  Help us remember that life with you is wonderful.  We don't have to worry about drinking murky water when we allow you to shape us into the clay cistern's you want us to be.  Teach us Lord that it is only through you that we can taste that living spring water of life. Amen!