Have you ever thought how disappointed the Potter must feel when the clay refuses to yield to His design? Or His delight, as the vessel submits to the pressure of His hands as He shapes it. The Lord, speaking to Israel through the prophet Jeremiah asks, "O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel" (Jeremiah 18:6 KJV).
In her book Master Potter, award-winning professional potter, Jill Austin describes the love between the Potter and the clay as she weaves the story of Forsaken, a broken vessel living in nineteenth century Comfort Cove.
In the beginning , Forsaken is hiding in the dreaded Potter's field fighting the demons of her past. As she is contemplating suicide, Master Potter rescues and carries her to His quaint cottage. There He explains to become the vessel He designed her for, she must be crushed with unrelenting love to remove the brokenness and filth. She agrees and He places her in Abundant Life Falls where she becomes pliable once again and ready for the wheel.
As the story unfolds, Master Potter explains every process and the reason for the procedure. And through it all, He never forces Forsaken to do anything. He always gives her the choice to yield or rebel. With her broken spout newly formed, she begins a new life but soon forgets Who designed her and her purpose in life as she chooses a profession, a mate, and her friends. While she suffers the pitfalls of her mistakes, she is never without comfort from Master Potter. He is there to pick up the broken pieces each time she crashes in her pursuit of happiness.
Austen has done a wonderful job weaving truth within her text. I empathized with Forsaken as I recalled the times in my life I faced the same test. I watched--and understood as she made good and bad choices that shaped and even scarred her life. I cringed as she refused to forgive others and sought revenge. So emotionally drawn to this character, I wanted to scream because I knew for every mistake she made there would be a consequence.
Anyone who enjoys allegory will enjoy Master Potter.