Crackpot

The Book of Ron · 5 of 48 · 3 minute read

One day I was in the pasture field looking out for some cattle, and I walked past an old cutout 55-gallon drum. It was cut in half, two pieces lay side by side. They were old and starting to rust through, small holes in each one. What struck me was that as I walked through the pasture field, the grass was green, but around the 55-gallon drum, life was different. There were more wildflowers, weeds, the grass was greener, things were manifesting themselves around that drum.

Similar in life, either through biblical teaching, reading the Bible somewhere, or the Holy Spirit allowing me to interpret it, I saw a parable in my mind. Along this path, where workers went down each day toward the harvest field, there was a clay pot. This clay pot collected the water from the rain, but it was old and discarded. It had a crack in it. Slowly, each day, the pot would release the water it stored after the heavy rains. So the plants around the pot got to flourish.

The pot had no value other than collecting water and slowly dispersing it to the plants around it. That area was always attractive and beautiful. As you walked down the path, you got close to the flowers. It filled your day with fragrance and a lighter, happier feeling. When you approached the pot, there was always something special about that area.

Some pots are designed for noble purposes. Kings drink wine from them. Others are designed to lower into wells and pull water up. Each pot has a significant purpose — from the cracked pots beside the pasture or pathway to the pot that the king drinks from. We cannot determine how God shapes us or fashions us. That is not for us to decide.

The lesson of this story is that whatever and however the Lord has crafted you, that is your lot in life. I'm not saying don't try to improve or escape, but when you realize what you're supposed to be, embrace it, accept it, and know where you’re at. Life becomes easier. Some people are there to gather, to nourish, to share wisdom, like my Aunt Gladys. She slowly let her wisdom pour out and watered me, just like the pot watered the plants along the pathway. My lot in life is hard work. I accept it. That’s what I was trained for as a child. That’s what I’ve learned all my life. It’s how I survived. It’s how I was crafted. Embrace who and what you are. Respect what brought you there. Always strive to improve, but don’t wrestle with what you are.

At this stage of life, I’m 68 years old, divorced, and retiring. All my value I’ve found was in the work I was able to do. I know how to work hard, care for someone, and feel deeply. I do not yet know how to be single and retired. I am re-examining and figuring out what the Lord’s purpose is for me now. By doing this book, reading it, and reflecting, I hope to find wisdom for this final chapter of my life, accept my lot, and strive to be the best at it that I can be.

There is a companion workbook for this story. Open the workbook (PDF).