Sometimes we think we can’t help, give, or do because we can’t help, give, or do perfectly. Maybe we think our house isn’t clean enough to invite someone inside, or we can’t cook well enough to have someone over for dinner. Such feelings of inadequacy can become crippling. Not only do they keep us from nurturing loving relationships, they also keep us from recognizing and receiving blessings.
The story is told of an elderly Chinese woman who walked to the well each day with two large pots hung on the ends of a pole she rested across her back. One pot always delivered a full pot of water to her home; the other pot had a crack in it. It dripped water the whole way home, and the most it ever brought to the woman was half a pot of water. When asked why she continued to use the cracked pot, she pointed to the trail of flowers that grew along the path. Years ago, when she first discovered the crack, she planted flower seeds alongside the path where the pot dripped. Before long, she began to enjoy fresh flowers all the way home. The cracked pot, though imperfect, was as valuable to the old woman as the pot without flaws.
And so it is for us and our offerings to each other. A windowpane marked with the fingerprints of children can be more beautiful than a window that is spotless. A simple sandwich shared with a friend can be more nourishing than lunch at a fancy restaurant. A love song from a devoted and aging husband, though perhaps a bit off key, can be more meaningful than a flawless performance of that same song on the radio. When our offerings to each other come from the heart, they are all that is needed.¹
Program #4038
¹See Luke 10:42.