SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH DEVOTIONAL FOR CHILDREN: “My Imperfect Self”

*DAILY BREAD – A DEVOTIONAL FOR THE CHILDREN*

EASTERN NIGERIA UNION CONFERENCE CHILDREN’S MINISTRIES

*THEME* : I WILL GO

Tuesday, August 31, 2021

Topic: My imperfect self

_And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’” 2 Corinthians 12:9_

An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which she carried across her neck. One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walks from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.
For two years this went on daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and sad that it could do only half of what it had been made to do.
After two years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream. “I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house.”
The old woman smiled, ‘Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side?’ ‘That’s because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them.”
For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house.’
Have you ever felt like this pot with its crack – imperfect and ashamed? There may have been something in your life that caused you to feel “cracked.” In all honesty, probably most of us have felt this way at one time or another. Yet what we neglect to realize is that God is sovereign; He created us each unique and when we depend upon Him, amazing things can happen!

Song
All things bright and beautiful
All creatures great and small
All things wise and wonderful
‘Twas God that made them all

He gave us eyes to see them
And lips that we might tell
How great is the Almighty
Who has made all things well

*Prayer*
Dear Lord, Thank you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Forgive my foolishness of comparing myself with others. Teach me to understand my uniqueness and help me to depend you to accomplish the purpose for which you have created me. Amen