thoughts from a cLaY vessel

It is 10:30 am and I am hanging out at my favorite coffee place - Mountain Bean. I came into the city at 6:30 this am with my man - dropped him off at the Firehall for his shift - went through the Starbucks drivethru to get some hot oatmeal and a bottled water (no coffee) and then went to Curves (after eating my oatmeal in the parking lot!) After a good workout (which included a power failure long enough to bring my heartrate down) and a shower - I was ready for the day. So since it was still early (about 9 am) I decided to come and hang out here.

At first, it was still quite QUIET in here... and then the rush came. I found my normal corner spot, and set up my laptop, got out my journal, my bible and my Beth Moore Study workbook and got to some serious work! And then the people came... or should I say a group of women who sat in the couches right next to me. A couple brought their children for the morning out. Needless to say it got pretty loud and I was trying to just concentrate on the "calling and privileges of Moses, Aaron, his sons and the rest of the Levites". I got the study done for today... but try as I might, could not help overhearing some of the conversations going on around me.

I love people watching. In this instance, the one woman totally controlled the whole conversation, sometimes allowing for someone else to say something. She had just come back from a trip to buy a vacation house... and it seemed or should I say sounded like the world revolved totally around her. So in the midst of the kids touching some of the MB merchandise, and the kids doing some spilling of beverages, and the "visiting" ~ she just kept talking, and talking, and well, still talking. (don't get me wrong, I LOVE kids and will take my own grandkids out for "coffee dates with Granny" )

Hmmm.... I just had to think, and hope that I don't monopolize conversations about myself. I like to think that I am a good listener! I know that sometimes Alvin and I leave a place and say, "ah we should have talked less!" I don't want to become a person who (because I am at home alone most the time) gets to dress up and go out and think the world revolves around me - because the reality is - it doesn't! (oh my goodness, the group of women just left, and the silence is GOLDEN!)

Anyhow - as I went to get my large mug of black coffee - Kara, one of the girls I had gotten to know, asked me where I was now? If I had changed to another church for work. You see when I worked in paid pastoral ministry - I changed almost all my meetings out to this coffee place. It was just a good place to meet and much cheaper on the budget to buy someone coffee vs lunch! So, I told Kara that no, I was not working at any other church, that I had resigned. And then she asked me if I am up to something else. To which I replied YES and told her a little about the retreat ministry! She thought that was very very cool. (of course, with serving coffee to incoming clients - there is only so much discussion you can have right?)

Which brings me to today!! And the fact that what I am rejoicing over was a culmination of meetings that took place here - Alvin, myself and our friend/architect Jerald. Mountain Bean, good coffee, conversation, planning... a few meetings happened here. Well - last Sunday Jerald handed Alvin an envelope with two copies of house plans for us to give the look over. (ladies and gentlemen - the envelope please!! drum roll!!!!!) That night, Alvin asked me to let Jerald know we are good to go!! And, now Jerald has handed these designs to Jordan to do the "working drawings".... honestly, I can hardly contain my eXcIteMenT! We are that much closer. (Alvin is that much happier as the time between now and the "build" gets closer with each day!) Jordan will need about 40 hours ~ we can hardly wait to meet with him. (insert BiG sMiLe here)

Then there is the other "small" thing... (I say that "tongue in cheek") We will re-list our house (with 65 acres) soon, and we will also relist our land (74 acres) on the other side of Hwy 12. God has already heard many prayers offered on behalf of these sales. Reality is - we need to sell the house - to pay for the build. That is the bottom line! The other day, as I was talking to God about this - "giving it to Him again" ~ I just have this confidence that He knows exactly WHO will buy our house and land, as well as who will buy the land on the other side. God knows.
He has already shown us that HIS timing is the RIGHT timing. We are believing that we will build in spring, and pray that God will continue to open the doors for us. This is HIS project. This is HIS minitry. This is HIS build ~ start to finish. We are the workers. We are only vessels. Clay Vessels. Fragile Clay Jars as 1 Corinthians 4 is subtitled.

bRoKeN
Fragile

Clay


"As the clay is in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand." Jeremiah 18:5b NLT


"We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. We are pressed on eavery side by troubles, but we are not crushed. we are perplexed, but not driven to despair. we are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies." 1 Corinthians 4: 7-10 NLT