In The Potters Hand
Friday, December 18, 2009 at 12:31AM
I am so blessed to be in the Potter's Hand! Only He can shape and craft me so that He can accomplish His perfect plan for my life. Without Him, I am nothing but a lump of clay. God, however, took that lump of clay and made something beautiful out of it. As I reflect back on the journey that I have had the privilege of taking over this past year, I stand in awe at God's goodness and faithfulness over my life. Nothing, absolutely nothing has passed by Him unnoticed! As a matter of fact, it was all in His perfect plan. He has gently called me into His presence and has guided me by His Holy Spirit as He teaches me to live all of my life through His eyes. Yes, I am captured by His holy calling. My prayer is that He will lead me as I continue on in this journey that He has taken me on.
I must say that I stand in total awe of who God is! Throughout this past year I have noticed that He has always prepared me in advance for the next turn in the road. It was Jesus who went ahead of me, just as He promises, and made the road straight ahead of me, gave me understanding, and walked me through each and every situation. It was no different when post-operatively I found that my eye is unbalanced and I am not able to see straight. One eye looks straight ahead, normally, and the other looks - as I put it - to heaven. With the double vision, I am totally housebound. I am unable to do tasks that I normally take for granted, including driving. The only way that I can function is to close one eye and squint. "Why?", I wondered. I know that Jesus has made me whole, as He told me when he appeared to me in a vision, but I wondered what His purpose was in this.
I was reminded that every thing that we go through in life is Father-filtered. I was also reminded that He knew me long before the foundations of the earth. His purposes for my life were established long before I was formed in my mother's womb. All He asked of me was my obedience and faith in Him that His purposes would be accomplished in me. He is the Potter, I am the clay. His timing is always perfect. His ways are always right. I have been made whole, He said, and so I know that in His time, my eye will be made perfect again.
Often times we do not know what God protects us from, but my being housebound allowed me to do my bible school studies fervently and efficiently [I am almost done my first course]; it kept me safe from catching the H1N1 flu; and it kept me centered in my home with my family where I was able to witness and spend uninterrupted quality time. Yes, indeed GOD WITH US, IMMANUEL!
God is the Potter. I am the clay. Each step has been carefully formed and shaped by Him as I allow Him to do a work in me. Out of love, He took me, that lump of clay, and gently crafted me into something that He could use. He is still in that process! One of the beautiful things about when God molds and shapes us is when He sets us on the shelf to dry. There I was able to bask in the glory of His presence and rest in Him. He was preparing me for the days and months ahead - the journey of this past year. For me, this was an amazing time because He had gone ahead and prepared the way for me. He never left me unprepared! I could rest totally in Him. I could hear God's voice like never before. I learned alot about God and His character during this past year. I wouldn't trade it in for the world!
Did He get in the fire with me and enable me to walk through this season of my life? Yes! Yes! Yes! I felt His presence with me every step of the way. What I stand in awe of is His faithfulness. It is by His grace that I am here to tell the story of the many miracles that God did in my life.
The song that follows so aptly expresses my thoughts and prayers. Praise God, for He is worthy to be glorified and lifted up. HE IS ALL I NEED. HE IS ALL YOU NEED! TRUST HIM! He loves all of us more than we could ever imagine and wants a relationship that is personal with each and every one of us.
POTTERS HAND By Hillsong United
Beautiful Lord, Wonderful savior
I know for sure all of my days are held in your hands
Crafted into your perfect plans
You gently called me into your presence I'm captured by your holy calling Oh Take me, mold me, use me, fill me Oh Call me, guide me, lead me, walk beside me You gently call me into your presence I'm captured by your holy calling Oh Take me, mold me, use me, fill me Oh Call me, guide me, lead me, walk beside me
Guiding me by Your Holy Spirit
Teach me dear Lord to live all of my life
Through your eyes
Set me apart. I know you're drawing me to yourself
lead me, Lord. I pray
I give my life to the potter's hand
I give my life to the potter's hand
Guiding me by your holy spirit
Teach me dear lord to live all of my life through your eyes
Set me apart. I know you're drawing me to yourself
lead me, Lord. I pray
I give my life to the potter's hand
I give my life to the potter's hand
Sylvia Achtem
I recently had a CT Scan done on my eye to determine the exact cause of why my eye is unbalanced. Upon review of the CT Scan results it was found that my eye muscle was caught in between the plates that were put into my head during the reconstructive part of surgery. Dr. Jack Rootman, my orbit specialist, will try and "unhook" the muscle from the plate during surgery that has been scheduled for January 20th, 2010. Dr. Rootman advised Neil and myself that it is very close to the brain and if he gets too close to my brain during surgery, he will pull out and abandon the surgery. The other option after that is to cut the eye muscle, thus loosing lateral eye movement.
Once again, I praise God that I did not have to wait until May or June 2010 to have surgery on my eye. I am so thankful that I will get to see sooner than that - by the end of January!!! I am reminded of how God's timing is always perfect. I am so glad to be in His care! God protects us and gently holds us in the palm of His hand. Even in this situation, I am so grateful that He is in complete control. I am confident that God will bring complete healing to all areas of my life and that the surgery will be successful allowing me to see again. As a child of God, I can apply the promises of His Word to my every situation and I praise Him for the inner peace, the joy, and the faith that I am able to walk in. I am so grateful to serve a LIVING GOD! I am glad that I can confidently walk in my inheritance, in the glory of God's presence, and possess all of the blessings that he so desires to shower upon me - His child. Praise the Lord, oh my soul, and all that is within me, praise His holy name!