When was the last time you were bad at something?

I have wanted to learn to throw pottery for years. As a young girl, I was intrigued by dad’s pottery wheel. He built it himself – a kick-wheel. He kept it spinning and controlled the speed by kicking the base. I was about 8 years old. So, for about 50 years, I’ve been interested. I have built a habit of browsing the pottery tent at the State Fair (and the pottery section of any gift shop) and purchasing when something catches my eye or appeals to my spirit, but collecting and creating are two different things, and the desire to learn finally overtook my excuses for not doing it. What a bonus that my son, Nick, also wanted to learn! We signed up for a class at Sertoma Arts Center in Raleigh and for the last two months we’ve been learning together. It’s been super fun! Nick is a natural. It’s so impressive. I don’t want to bad-mouth myself, but let’s just say that I am determined to keep at it.

I am not surprised to find the Lord is teaching me the spiritual significance of the lessons I’m learning. Here are three things about pottery and life:

Being Centered is of Utmost Importance.
The first step in throwing is to center the clay. If the clay is not centered, it is nearly impossible to create anything worthwhile. The balance will be off, the sides will be uneven, the process will not go smoothly. It will wobble. It might fight you. It might turn to mush.

In my life, being centered means that I begin my day with time reading the Bible and praying. This helps me stay focused on what’s important. It makes it possible for me to meet the day’s challenge with perspective and balance. If I don’t do this, I might wobble. I might fight you. I might turn to mush.

Strength and Gentleness Work Together.
Centering the clay takes some serious force. It is nearly solid at the beginning. And when it is spinning, it exerts a lot of force back at me, so I have to be fully braced with my elbows in my hips and my hands locked together. But later, when pulling the sides up, the clay is thinner and requires a delicate hand. Even in pulling my fingertips away from the bowl, I have to move slowly and gently to avoid issues The dichotomy is mindblowing. After all, I’m working with the same material in nearly the same moment. 

Doesn’t this apply in real life as well? As a wife, a mom, a grandmother, and a friend, there are times when fierce determination is needed. Protecting my relationships and loved ones from danger sometimes requires forceful diligence. Yet to love well, I must also be extremely gentle, using the most considerate touch, the most delicate supportive words so they can be heard by a heart that needs support. I see this in the Lord’s love as well; Jesus’ death on the cross required his entire strength to endure. He loves us fiercely. And He is the one who welcomed children joyfully and lovingly when there were “more important” things to do. He is my soft place to land when I am hurting.

Mistakes are Okay
Every time I go to pottery class or to practice between classes, I begin more pieces than I end up with. It would appear to be a waste of perfectly good clay. But there’s a beautiful thing called the reclaim bin. All my failed pieces and the scraps I trim away from my bowls and pots get saved in the reclaim bin. After some drying out and wedging (potter speak for kneading), the clay is ready for future projects. So I am free to make mistakes. Nothing is wasted. Nick and I say to each other, “It’s all learning.”

I see this in my life, too. Close friends and family know I’ve had a hard time taking risks because of my wiring and my perfectionistic tendencies. I’m still learning that I am safe and loved despite my flaws. I want to be a person that displays God’s mercy – so it’s important for me to admit my mistakes and receive His help. He doesn’t waste any of my pain, mistakes or failures – he has a way of turning them into something useful.

So there you have it – three things I’ve learned recently about pottery and life. 

I want to ask again: when was the last time you were bad at something? If it has been a while, I encourage you to put yourself out there and learn something new. Then pay attention and notice what you learn as you learn.

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

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,
who have been called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28