I enjoyed Church today. There were a lot of places I wanted to stay and reflect a bit as my friend Everett preached.
There were moments in the music where my heart wanted to hit pause…
There were moments in the experience of the water from the baptismal font flowing over my hands, reminding me of the promises in my baptism…
There were moments in the words of the teaching, moments I wanted to freeze and pray and think and wonder more about what had just been said…
My body felt tired but my heart was fully engaged ~ it was a good morning in worship!
And yet the thought that has stuck with me most is the words from one of the songs:
1. Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way!
Thou art the potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after thy will,
while I am waiting, yielded and still.
2. Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way!
Search me and try me, Savior today!
Wash me just now, Lord, wash me just now,
as in thy presence humbly I bow.
3. Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way!
Wounded and weary, help me I pray!
Power, all power, surely is thine!
Touch me and heal me, Savior divine!
4. Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way!
Hold o’er my being absolute sway.
Fill with thy Spirit till all shall see
Christ only, always, living in me!
I have always liked this song, but somehow the whole morning felt like an invitation to live out these words every day….
I know there are places in my life, and believe there always will be on this side of heaven, where I can daily choose to allow God His way.
I am not sure exactly what this looks like, but I do believe it is an act of obedience and living in the moment, trusting God and releasing the places I have decided on how things should be or an outcome I desire. I do believe it is an act of trusting God when it feels as if my soul is aching and should be soothed. I do believe it is critical to live out the words….yeilded and still….
I also have come to realize that yielded and still is not always to be void of activity. I believe that yielded and still is more about the position of my heart. I have noticed that I can be still and stand in rebellion…as well as I can be active and aloof to God. I desire to live out the words, Have thine own way Lord, in my places of stillness and busyness. I am choosing to believe that my potter has a plan for this hunk of clay :-), a plan of shaping, refining, firing and refiring, breaking and glazing, and in the process, a place where I am shaped, carefully, intentionally and with great delight to the Potter!
And so my prayer for the week is a short one….Have thine own way Lord!
Yes, I was a potter for many years and it was both humbling and rewarding. I am 82 now and my childen and friends all have pieces made by my hands. But the biggest reward in my life was to understand the spiritual part of “Thou art the potter, I am the clay”. We are moldable! And our molding by the Spirit is never finished until the day we die!