The Potter’s Hand and the Writer
Have you ever watched a child create something with play dough? They squeeze and roll it in their hands repeatedly. Maybe it will become something, like a snake or ball. When it’s finished, there’s a good possibility that it will be smashed into a lump, as it was in the beginning.
Writing is a lot like creating with play dough. When you start, the writer might have an idea for a story or article that needs to be worked and re-worked. It idea will be reshaped and re-created again and again. The writer plays with words and imagination to create a story.
This Bible verse in Jeremiah 18:1-4 illustrates the creative process:
“The Lord gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, “Go down to the potter’s shop, and I will speak to you there.” So I did as he told me and found the potter working at his wheel. But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over.”
It’s easy to become discouraged when the writing process is long, full of unexpected twists and delays. There is occasional good news of publishing that gives just enough encouragement for the writer to keep creating their work.
There is hope in the process, as shown in the next two verses in Jeremiah. “Then the Lord gave me this message: “O Israel, can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand.”
It’s easy to become discouraged when the writing process is long, full of unexpected twists and delays. A spark of hope gives just enough encouragement for the writer to keep creating their work. Ultimately, we must remember that we are as clay in the potter’s hand. It is the work of the Lord—the Potter—that shapes and creates us into His vessel to create written works.
The creative process of writing for publication isn’t all smooth and exhilarating; there are a lot of bumps that require patience, guidance and prayer. It is reassuring to know that during the process, the Potter’s hand reshapes us into who He wants us to be.
Nancy Kay Grace is an author of several stories that have appeared in the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” series, as well as devotionals and magazine articles. Her book, The Grace Impact, will be released from CrossRiver Media in early 2015. Follow Nancy’s blog and sign up to receive her email devotional, GraceNotes, at www.nancykaygrace.com
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