“But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.” (Jeremiah 18:4)
Perhaps that is what Darlene Zschech (pronounced ‘Zheck’), a
Christian songwriter, was thinking about herself and God when she wrote the
song “The Potter’s Hand”, with the mental imagery of a craftsman at work (maybe not unlike the fellow in this 1605 work of art shown here, by an anonymous artist). Darlene has a life today most would say is
charmed…she’s a key part of the Hillsong church ‘down-under’ in Australia, a
gifted songwriter whose resume has dozens of songs and albums that are familiar
to millions of Christians, a mother with 3 daughters, and a husband who is her
partner in Christian ministry. If you dig a little deeper, however, you
discover that her life at times has been anything but charmed, and might even
be characterized as ‘marred’, more like the message Jeremiah heard from the
Lord. Darlene’s had bulimia, the eating disorder; she suffered through a
miscarriage during a pregnancy; and she endured financial struggles -- not
exactly charming life experiences. Does Darlene Zschech’s life sound
like yours? Do you feel that your ‘pot’ is misshapen, or even broken apart?
Darlene says “The Potter’s Hand” was a prayer that she made
to God one day in 1997. She just felt the need to be submissive to Him, to
allow Him, as her song words say, ‘to take me, mold me, use me, fill me’. Her
other requests to Him were for His calling, guiding, leading, and walking
beside her, all things she didn’t keep to herself, but was brave enough to say
aloud to Him and for others to hear also. Darlene had a lot she needed from
Him, it seems, ‘a heart’s cry’ as she recalls the day she emotionally called
out to Him. She remembers that the melody she accessed was from Him, set to the
words she was vocalizing that day as she prayed in earnest. This sounds like Darlene
in her most genuine state, a woman who has indeed known struggle, but who is
also intimately in touch with the Divine Overcomer.
I know I never welcome adversity. Yet, experiences - good or
bad – shape us. The good news is that the Holy Potter doesn’t need a perfectly
smooth, beautiful vase, and maybe that’s what Darlene Zschech was reflecting
upon when she put together the “The Potter’s Hand” and the album titled
“Touching Heaven, Changing Earth”, on which it appears. That album title is a
good description of what God does for the believer – He changes us - and that’s
a supernatural hope for you and me as we grapple with life. I may begin my walk
with God, lamenting or even despising the repulsive parts of myself. But when I
realize that I’m not the only strange-looking clay jar, I gain something, and
so do we all. I’m unique, and if I own that as a gift from above, I climb above
my shrinking, self-doubt, and contact the Divine One. Pray like Darlene Zschech
was that day in 1997, and see what might emerge for others to see and appreciate.
Thank you, that was beautiful
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