TRUSTING THE DIVINE INTENTION

I expect that much of the time you and I are completely unaware of the Divine intention in who we are and what we do. We struggle to entrust ourselves to Mystery.

The eleventh step of the Alcoholics Anonymous program is this: "Sought to improve my conscious contact with God through prayer and meditation, seeking only the knowledge of his will for us and the power to carry it out."

I read recently a beautiful story told by one of my favorite authors, Brennan Manning. My adaptation of the story goes like this:

A water bearer in India had two large pots. Each hung on opposite ends of a pole that he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, while the other was perfect. The perfect pot always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master's house. The cracked pot arrived only half-full. The perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments because it fulfilled magnificently the purpose for which it had been made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its imperfection and miserable about only accomplishing half of the job.

After two years of failure, the bitter pot spoke to the water-bearer one day by the stream. "I'm ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you," the pot said.

"Why are you ashamed?" asked the water-bearer.

"I've been unable to deliver more than half my share of the load for these past two years, because this crack in my side allows water to leak out all the way back to the master's house. My flaws are reducing your ability to fully accomplish your work."

The water-bearer responded: "I have always known about your flaw, and I have taken advantage of it. I planted flower seed on your side of the path, and every day, as we have walked back from the stream, you have faithfully watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have had this beauty to grace his house."

Disappointment in our being or performing arise from our presuming to know the outcome fo a particular endeavor. The cracked pot was clueless about its life-giving, life-beautifying purpose as a vessel.

St. John writes, "A man can lay claim only to what is given him from heaven" (John 3:27). Any attempt to measure the value of our lives by comparison and contrast to others belittles our gifts and shows ungratefulness to God.

Despite our "flaws"--our physical cracks, intellectual limitations, emotional struggles, and spiritual fissures--we can and must trust that God has providentially equipped us to fulfill the unique purpose of our existence.