The Potter’s Hands

I once read a moving story about a man who, during the Great Depression, lost nearly everything—his job, his fortune, his wife, and even his home. Yet, in the midst of such devastating loss, he clung to the one thing he had left: his faith.

One day, as the story goes, he paused to watch a group of men working on a stone cathedral. One of the workers, a stonemason, was carefully chiseling a triangular piece of stone. Curious, the man asked, “What are you going to do with that?” The stonemason pointed upward and replied, “Do you see that small opening near the spire? I'm shaping this stone down here so that it will fit up there.” As the heartbroken man walked away, tears welled up in his eyes. In that moment it occurred to him that God was shaping him in much the same way: that is, He was shaping him down here (through trials, pain, and loss) so that he will fit “up there.”

James reminds us that God uses life’s hardships to prepare us for heaven. He wrote, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing” (Jas 1:2-4). Likewise, the apostle Paul said, “And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Romans 5:3-4).

Friends, God is our Creator, the Potter, and we are the clay (Isaiah 64:8). Let Him mold you and make you according to His will. He knows what’s best for you—and He knows how to turn hardship and devastation into blessings.

Aaron Veyon