Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: I SURRENDER ALL (to God) (don’t write about the song) (05/07/15)
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TITLE: God�s Masterpiece | Previous Challenge Entry
By Julie Blackman
05/14/15 -
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My first experience with pottery was a disaster. I couldn’t manage the pottery wheel table, so the rotation was too fast. Eventually, the clay spun out of control and I had to start over a few times. By the end of the class, I was grateful to have created something that remotely resembled a lopsided bowl. At least it was recognizable.
This class makes me think of God—our Divine Potter. Although we are the clay, we can oftentimes dictate how things should play out in our lives. This raises several questions. Isn’t God omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent? Yes. Is there any other God beside Him? No. Then why do we have to “let Him” take control? Why won’t He just mold us into whatever He wants? The answer is simple—because He’s a God of Choice. He wants us to choose to be fully surrendered to Him. He won’t force us into a relationship with Him (Revelation 3:20, NKJV). And He knows our potential and what’s best for us (Jeremiah 29:11, NKJV). When we let God have His way in our lives, He’ll show us exactly which steps to take (Psalms 32:8, NKJV).
Relinquishing control of my life to God, was one of the hardest lessons I had to learn. I’ve always prided myself on being self-sufficient. If I couldn’t do something myself, it wasn’t necessary. In the past, when things didn’t go my way, I’d resolve that it wasn’t meant to be. When I prayed, I’d tell God what my plans were and ask for His blessings in bringing them into fruition. But looking back, the one thing I did a lot of was worry. Sure, I’d kneel to pray and claim that I left my burdens at the altar, only to pick them up when I got up from praying. I also missed out on several opportunities. It wasn’t because I didn’t have control at the time—it was because I did. Poor decision making resulted in mistakes. If only I had consulted my Heavenly Father, perhaps things would have gone differently.
Thankfully God gives us second chances (Romans 8:28, NKJV). I realized that I had to let go and let God steer my life in order for things to change. It was a relief to give my burdens to Him. He gave me a peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7, NKJV). He is a faithful, patient, merciful, and gracious God. In my eyes, I am just a mere lump of clay. But in His eyes, I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14, NKJV). I am worthy because of Jesus Christ.
The encouragement that I’d like to share is: surrender everything to God as soon as you can. Trust me you’ll find that in doing so, you’ll save yourself time, money, tears, physical, and emotional stress. Let God mold you into the beautiful vessel that He sees you can be.
Nonfiction - Encouragement
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Don't tell us when you're going to give the point. Let the article and the point stand on its own. You made things clear enough that you really didn't need to point it out to the reader.
I loved the line about how your pottery "remotely resembled a lopsided bowl." I can relate. I joke that when I draw something, if you hold it at arm's length, squint, and use your imagination, then it MIGHT look like what it's supposed to be. :)