The Creator Decides the Value
Unimportant? Ask the Creator
When I was 8-10 years old, the women guiding our girl scout troop took us on a field trip to a potter’s workshop. The lady potter put a dry clay dog’s head in front of each girl and provided paint. After the paint dried, she fired all our creations in a kiln. Several days later I took mine home.
I named him “Herman.”
I packed him up when I went to college. He moved into my 1st apartment. Packed carefully in my suitcase when I moved from Michigan to North Carolina. Came with me when I married my husband. In fact, this little clay figurine is decades old, and if Herman broke, I would have a hard time replacing him.
An Unusual Importance
This dog’s head is important to me, even today. But why? It’s not the paint. Mustard yellow is no longer my favorite color.. I’m not sentimental about Herman. He doesn’t hold a special place in my heart. He’s not a rare antique. The dog heads we painted obviously were created using a mold. Herman would probably sell for less than a dollar in a garage sale. Even more interesting, many of the other girls in my troop probably lost or broke their creations within a few years, and didn’t care. But I would.
Here’s a hint; Herman is not valuable because of how he looks.
He’s valuable because of the task he performs.
If Herman Could Talk
I suspect that could my little buddy feel, he’d think he was pretty unimportant. I ignore him almost 100% of the time. Yet I’d miss him if he wasn’t there. Yesterday I cleaned decades of dirt off him because of his two-part photo shoot for this week’s post.
The next few times I move, Herman’s going with me.
Herman’s One Task
Herman was created for one key purpose. He holds my glasses on his nose when I sleep.
Why is this so important? Because I’m very near-sighted. So waking up and knocking my glasses to the floor is the absolute worst! Usually I have to grope around on my hands and knees to find them again.
But when I place my glasses on Herman’s nose the evening before? I won’t be groping for them on the floor the next morning.
My Spiritual Point
Our Creator formed each of us for a specific purpose. But Jesus never wastes our time or His. Understand this; nothing He asks us to do is minor or unimportant. But on this side of eternity it often looks that way.
The Lord gave me a writing gift and the soul of a storyteller. So I’ve been writing weekly posts for my blog, The Faithful Wanderer, for the last several years. What eternal fruit is the Holy Spirit reaping from my efforts? I have no idea. I just know He’s definitely called me to be a writer. Someday in Heaven, I’ll see the results—but in the meantime? I keep writing.
Be faithful. Answer God’s call on your life, and trust the Creator to use the gifts He gave you in marvelous ways to build His kingdom.
The featured image of the artist drawing a design on the pot came from Pixabay.com.
Herman’s images were captured by by his grateful owner.
