We ponder the reasons and purposes of God when “our” schedule is changed from what we thought it should be to what actually takes place. I’m referring to why God has us return so shortly to Whatcom County after leaving for our work in Central America. We may never know his purpose in this but what we do is to humbly submit to his Lordship and direction. The results are in his hands and for his glory.
As Jeremiah 18:1-6 reveals, Jeremiah went to the Potter’s house where he saw the potter working with a marred piece of clay (You and I). Jeremiah was told by the Lord that we are such, that is, marred pieces of clay that need to molded and formed into a beautiful creation. God takes us in our brokenness and works with us to produce a beautiful work that, as he states, is beautiful in his sight. This is all because of the redemptive work of Jesus Christ at the cross of Calvary where Jesus took your marred imperfect self and in return gave you a beautiful new self. A new creation so to speak through the death of Jesus on the cross of Calvary.
I marvel in what God has done in me. He started with a stuttering overweight country boy with a low self image and turned me into a missionary who is able to help others who struggle with the same problems.
64:8 further states that, “O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. As men and women, we need to know that our Heavenly Father does in fact have our best interests in mind.  Many people have come out of very difficult backgrounds and need redemption in their lives. The men I work with in Honduras have had many difficulties with their earthly fathers. How can we trust our Father in Heaven if we were never able to trust our earthly father? Through prayer, forgiveness of those who wronged us and getting to know the character and makeup of our Heavenly Father, we can jump that great divide separating us from a joyful and abundant future in Him.
