The past couple weeks could have been pretty dark around here, between young adult children, husband and an aging father: A few car accidents, totaled car, speeding ticket, hay fever, long night in an emergency room, bringing my aging dad home, lost debit cards, expensive MRI, major migraines. Every day we had some new challenge to overcome.
But at the same time I had peace in the storms, financial provision, finally a diagnosis (accidentally) of what causes my daughter’s migraines, health answers for another daughter, praying for others in the ER, countless others acknowledging God’s light in me.

I share all this to say that I did not feel strong in myself at all. I felt more like a cracked pot, unable to carry the days without leaking, pouring out my heart to my Lord. But, I DID keep my eyes on Jesus, and His Glory could be seen in this earthen vessel BECAUSE of the cracks and unblocked openings. 

As I read 2 Corinthians 4:4-7, I couldn’t stop, I read the whole chapter, over and over. There could not be a more appropriate chapter for this week. Verses 8-9 defined my life, praise God for the ‘buts!’ 

As in verse 13, “I believed, therefore I spoke.” I began to realize through all this that this world is about God’s Kingdom advancing. All these hard things are mere momentary afflictions in the light of His Glory. So I do not lose heart, I am going after an eternal glory that changes this world and ushers in His kingdom. 

For Him I seek the unseen purposes, for Him I fight the good fight, for Him I allow myself to be renewed day by day, for Him I live in His Grace that reaches more and more people so they too can overflow with thanksgiving to God. Selah.

2 Corinthians 4:4-18 NIV:

The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Col 1:27 & 1 Co 6:19

*** I applied 2 coats of Dina Wakely clear gesso, using a heat tool to dry in between applications. I lightly outlined out the pottery vessel with brown Inktense pencil and used my masking fluid pen for the cracks and light beams. Finished out the pot and shadows with Inktense, dried and the used watercolor for the light. I carefully peeled up the masking, et voila!