Cracked Pot

A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on the end of a pole
which he carried across his neck. One of the pots was perfectly made and
 never leaked. The other pot had a crack in it and by the time the water
 bearer reached his master's house it had leaked much of it's water and was
only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and
 a half pots full of water to his master's house. Of course, the perfect pot was
proud of its accomplishments. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its
 own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of
what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water
 bearer one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize
to you." "Why?" asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?" "I have been
able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in
 my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master's house.
Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full
value from your efforts," the pot said.

The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said,
 "As we return to the master's house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers
along the path."Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of
the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered
it some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its
load, and so again the pot apologized to the bearer for its failure.

The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your
side of your path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always
known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your
side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you've watered
them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my
master's table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this
beauty to grace his house."

Each of us has our own unique flaws. We're all cracked pots. But if we will allow it,
God will use our flaws to grace his table. In God's great economy, nothing goes to
waste. Don't be afraid of your flaws. Acknowledge them, and you too can be the
 cause of beauty. Know that in our weakness we find our strength.

Cracked Pot