A Lesson from Mr. Rogers—Shaped by the Potter
Welcome, 🙂
“The vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make.”
“Can I not do with you as this potter?” says the Lord. “Look, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are you in My hand.”
Jeremiah 18:4, 6
Over a cup of tea, I watched the movie A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood and found it surprisingly inspiring. I was touched by Mr. Rogers' gentle, listening, and compassionate approach to the people God brought across his path.
In this world, most of us, at one time or another, struggle with deep hurts caused by relationships. We often try to bury those feelings of pain, disappointment, or bitterness, hoping they will simply disappear. But hidden hurts have a way of surfacing in unhealthy ways—through anger, overworking, overeating, overdrinking, withdrawing from others, or simply running away from what is difficult.
One conversation in the movie especially stayed with me.
Lloyd: "Bill was right. You love people like me."
Mr. Rogers: "People like you? I've never met anyone like you in my entire life."
Lloyd: "Broken people."
Mr. Rogers: "I don't think you are broken. I know you are a man of conviction, a person who knows the difference between what is wrong and what is right. Try to remember that your relationship with your father also helped to shape those parts. He helped you become what you are."
That statement—"Try to remember that your relationship with your father also helped to shape those parts."—really resonated with me.
This isn't a Christian movie, but as a follower of Christ, it caused me to reflect on my own life. Looking back over the years, I can see that God has used many relationship experiences—both joyful and painful—to shape me into the person He is continuing to make me.
The Lord doesn't delight in our pain, but He never wastes it. Like the Potter in Jeremiah 18, He patiently works with the clay, even when it becomes marred. He doesn't throw it away. He reshapes it according to His good purpose.
Perhaps you are walking through a difficult relationship right now. If so, I encourage you to place that situation into the Potter's hands. Yield your heart and your will to Him. Ask Him for the courage to honestly face your hurts and to change whatever He desires to change within you.
There is an old chorus that says,
"Little by little every day,
Little by little in every way,
My Jesus is changing me."
How true that is. The Lord's work of shaping us is usually quiet and gradual, but it is always purposeful.
Or perhaps your difficult relationship is in the past. If so, can you look back and see how God has used it? Often, years later, we begin to recognize how He faithfully worked through those painful seasons to deepen our faith, increase our compassion, and bring glory to Himself.
One final quote from the movie continues to stay with me:
"Anything mentionable is manageable." — Mr. Rogers
There is wisdom in bringing our hurts into the light. But even more importantly, there is hope in bringing them to the Lord. The Potter knows exactly what He is creating, and His hands never stop working on His children.
A Quiet Prayer
Father, what are You shaping in me through the relationships in my life? Help me to trust Your hands, even when the process is difficult. Make me into the vessel that seems good to You. Amen
