The morning light shown through the window of the Potter’s small shop as the activity of the day began and the Potter came in and put on his apron.

He walked over to the shelves around the wall that held the plain balls of brown clay that he would one day fashion into different articles. He came to the first ball of clay and said, “How would you like to be made into something today?” The ball of clay quickly replied to the Potter, “Oh no! I am just fine up here on the shelf where I can see all about the shop. Please don’t make me into anything today!” So, the Potter looked to the next ball of clay and said, “How about you? How would like to be made into something?” “I don’t think so, I’m used to being up here with my friends. I don’t believe I would like it anywhere else in the shop than here with my friends.”

Well, the Potter was disappointed in having been turned down, but he went on to the next ball of clay and said, “How would you like to be made into something today?” “Oh no, I am happy just I am, but thank you just the same” it replied.

The Potter was getting discouraged, but he went ahead and said to the next ball of clay, “What about you? What do you have to say?” “You may take me and make me into something today” said the ball of clay. The Potter put the plain ball of clay down on his pottery wheel and gently started to caress and shape it. The other balls of clay said to each other as they watched, “It must be very painful to be shaped by the powerful Potter’s hands. We can hardly recognize our friend now.”

The Potter continued working, slowly turning the wheel, making and shaping ever so gently. He worked and worked throughout the long morning and into the afternoon, finally, he put on the finishing touches.

Then the Potter took his work and put it into a hot oven. As he, did the other balls of clay sadly said, “Our friend will surely die in that hot oven. We will never see our friend again.”

Early the next morning, the first ball of clay to awaken looked around and saw in the window a bright, shiny vase that he had never seen before. It was not just a vase, but a vase trimmed in bright colors and edged in precious gold. It was sitting on a small pedestal in front of the shop’s window so that the whole world could see it‘s beauty. Not only was it a beautiful vase, but it was heaped with precious possessions, such as golden bracelets and rings and precious jewels. He just couldn’t believe his eyes! He had never seen anything like it before. He nudged the other balls of clay along the shelf and said, “Look! Look in the window! I’ve never seen anything like it” and they all agreed. “It is prettier than anything we’ve ever seen. Look how it is filled with precious things and jewels. We must find out where it came from.” One of the balls of clay called down to the vase and said, “Hey where did you come from? We’ve never seen you before”.

The vase, hesitating a moment said, “I’m the ball of clay that sat beside you only yesterday.” “Oh no” said the ball of clay on the shelf “that was just a plain ball of clay, you could not be it. You could never have been like one of us.” “Look at you trimmed in bright color and precious gold and filled with beautiful things. You could not be the same ball of clay that was up here with us.” “I was just like you only yesterday morning” said the vase. Another ball of clay said, “It’s hard to believe that the Potter could make something so beautiful out of something that looked like us. Who is this Potter?” he asked. “We must ask him to take us and make us into something beautiful too”.

The vase said, “All I know is that I gave myself to the Potter and he took me and worked with me and changed me into what he wanted me to be, and his name is Jesus.”

Copyright Jim Harmon 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Several sparrows were jumping from one branch to another in the small bushes around the rocks on a hillside. Some of the sparrows were sitting on one of the larger rocks sunning themselves when a shadow crossed over them. One of the sparrows looked up to see what had caused the shadow and saw a large bird high above them. “What is that?” he asked the others around him? “An eagle” chirped one bird. “Look how high he can fly and he rarely even has to flap his wings.” “That is what I want to be someday” said one of the sparrows, “I want to be an eagle.”

The other sparrows laughed at him and began making fun of him. They told him that he could never be an eagle and laughed some more. So when the little sparrow could not take the funning anymore, he flew off to be by himself.

He decided that if he wanted to be an eagle, he must go high upon the rocky lodges where the eagles live to learn how he could become one.

After hours of flying, the little sparrow came to the high rocky cliffs where the eagles lived. He saw several eagles not far off, so he flew to where they were sitting. “I have came to become an eagle”, he announced. A couple of eagles laughed and one said, “You must be born an eagle, you cannot become an eagle just because you want to be one.”

One old eagle that had been listening but had said nothing, spoke up and said. “There is one that lives at the top of the highest mountain and if you will go to him, he can turn you into an eagle.”

“I will do it” said the sparrow and he flew off toward the mountain and he thanked the old eagle as he left.

The mountain was very high. The little sparrow began to get tired as he flew into the dark clouds surrounding it. Suddenly, he was caught in a whirling wind that twisted him every which way and knocked him against the side of the mountain but he just kept on going. Suddenly, it started to rain and lighting began flashing all around him. The little sparrow was wet and scared but decided that if he could first get to the next ledge, then he would stop and rest. After that he would go back down the mountain and would just stay a sparrow. He finally got to the ledge all wet, hurting and scared.

Out of the dark cloud came a voice which said, “What do you want little sparrow?”

Shaking with cold and fear the little sparrow said, “I am here to see the one that can turn me into an eagle.”

The voice calmly said, “When you return to the valley below, you will be an eagle because of your great faith in me.”

The sparrow no longer felt afraid and after a little rest, began his trip back down the mountain.

He flew into the dark clouds not even able to see where he was going, but he kept on going anyway.

After a little while he started to come out of the clouds, but he felt different somehow. As he came into the sunlight he was able to look at himself and could not believe what he saw! His wings were long and strong and he did not have to flap them to fly but could sail with the wind. He was an eagle!

He felt strength and power as he flew to the valley below. As he looked down he saw his sparrow friends and he landed next to them.

They were afraid of the big eagle near them and asked him what he wanted with them. “Don't you recognize me?“ he asked.

“No” they replied, “We don't know you.”

“I am the sparrow that left you to become an eagle” he said.

They all looked at each other in amazement and then one of the sparrows finally asked, “How did this happen? How can we become eagles too?”

“All I can tell you” said the eagle, “Is that I went to the top of the mountain and the one that lives there changed me and his name is Jesus.”

Copyright Jim Harmon

                                                            NEXT