Inspired to Reality

Joel Osteen had a wonderful anecdote this morning that gives a brilliant perspective on the struggles within our life. I will try to paraphrase the story to the best of my ability below:

A young couple was shopping for antiques one day in an exclusive store and took notice one of the most beautiful tea cup they had ever seen sitting on a shelf. They knew immediately that they had to buy it. As they stood there admiring it they were shocked to hear it begin to speak.

You know what? I didn’t always look like this, said the beautiful teacup. There was a time when nobody wanted me. There was a time when I wasn’t attractive at all. You see I was just an old lump of clay. But one day this potter came along and he began to pat me, form me and mold me. I said to the potter, “What are trying to do? That hurts! I’m uncomfortable! Leave me alone!” But the potter smiled and said, “Not yet.”

He then put me on the potter’s wheel, said the tea cup. And he spun me around and around and I began to get dizzy. I did not like it, but eventually, I took on a different shape. He formed me into this tea cup. I thought he was through with me, but all of a sudden he put me into a furnance. It was so hot in there, I could not stand it. I thought I was going to die! And when he came to check on me, I could see him through the galss in the furnance and he had a sparkle in his eye. I screamed out to him, “Hey let me out of here!” He just smiled and said, “Not yet.”

Finally after a long time, he took me out and put me on the shelf, said the tea cup. I thought, thank God it is finally over. Now I can get back to being my normal self. But then the potter came back over and began to paint me with this sticky paint. I didn’t like it. It smelled terrible! I thought I was going to choke. And I told him, “Leave me alone!” But again, he just said, “Not yet.”

Then he put me into a second oven that was twice as hot as the first. And I thought for sure it was all over. This time I thought it was going to be the end of me. When he came to check on me, I said, “Listen, I am serious. I can’t take this anymore!” But once again he just smiled and said, “Not yet.”

Finally he took me out and after a couple of days I cooled off. He came by and handed me a mirror. And when I looked into that mirror, I could not believe how beautiful I was. I could not believe how much I have changed. I did not look like anything like that the hard lump of clay that I started out to be. Now I am this beautiful tea cup and everybody wants me. But always remember there was a time, when nobody wanted me. But now, all because of the potter I am valuable. He made something special out of my life.

I am a firm believer that it is our experiences, good and especially bad, that shapes us into the unique works of art that we are. Good experiences only reaffirm we are on the right track. Bad experiences make us change. Although painful during the experience, it is ultimately allowing us to take on our true form. The only difference to the story above is that deep inside every one of us, we want to be something. Our universe is only putting us through the things we need to experience to make our dreams come true.

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