Yesterday I was thinking about how all of us are so very
different in the way we approach the Lord.
Some of us are very holy and spiritual, some of us hide our holiness a
little more, in other words, have trouble sitting still or blurting things we
should not at bad times.
What I mean is we are all different vessels that carry the
Holy Spirit and Jesus around with us.
Some of us are like beautiful wooden walnut bowls, polished to a sheen,
carefully crafted with no bumps, able to carry food or most anything else.
Beautiful walnut bowls must be kept carefully clean, using little soap so you
don’t ruin the finish, never be put in a dishwasher and hand dried with a soft
towel and treated carefully so you don’t drop them and splinter into a million
pieces.
Some of us are like melmac or corelle bowls, durable, dishwasher safe and can withstand
high heat, but aren’t always very pretty to look at or present at the table,
yet always durable, can carry anything and let it sit for days inside before
washing and usually won’t break if dropped.
I know this sounds silly, but if you look at who you are as a
faith filled Christian, do you see yourself as the walnut bowl or the corelle?
Both are excellent vessels to carry the Lord in. I don’t think one is better
than the other. I personally love walnut bowls because they show such beautiful
craftsmanship, but I am slightly afraid to own one since I am so very hard on
my dishes and so just have a lot of corelle. My own faith vessel is corelle too, I am not
always smooth, or polished to a sheen. I can hold just about anything and love
to serve the Lord, but I don’t know if people would always say I seem “holy.”
Does it matter which vessel we are? I’m not sure. I feel like
I should be trying to work myself towards being a walnut bowl, yet that doesn’t
seem like who God made me to be. He made me tough, able to withstand high temps
and able to get dirty and clean up in the wash without any side effects. I love
physical labor and often get very dirty doing a job. I understand “street smarts” and like to
minister to people who need reminding that they are God’s creation and that God
loves them too. Yet I also love helping
distribute Holy Communion and the Precious Blood, something we seem to think
only “holy” walnut bowls should do!
But I feel called to serve the Lord in walnut bowls ways some
days too and I think that’s okay. We
still have to be who God called us to be and if He calls us knowing we are only
corelle and not walnut wood, maybe that means He needs corelle this day!