Chosen by Love: Saying “Yes” to Your Existence
“For the Souls in Purgatory – Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord”
Jer 18:1-12
The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: Rise up, go down to the potter’s house; there I will give you my message. I went down to the potter’s house and there he was, working at the wheel. Whenever the object of clay that he was making turned out badly in his hand, he would re-roll it into another vessel, as it seemed best to the potter to do. Then the word of the LORD came to me: Can I not do to you, house of Israel, as this potter has done? –oracle of the LORD. Indeed, like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, house of Israel. If at any time I announce that a nation or a kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed, and that nation against which I have issued the decree turns from its evil, then I will repent of the evil I had intended to inflict on it. If at another time I announce that I will build up and plant a nation or a kingdom, and that nation does what is evil in my sight, by not listening to my voice, then I will repent of the good with which I had intended to bless it. Now, therefore, tell the people of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem: Thus says the LORD: See! I am fashioning an evil against you and devising a plan against you. Turn back, each of you, from your evil way; reform your ways and your deeds! But they will say, “It is no use! We will follow our own plans; each of us will act according to the stubbornness of our evil hearts.”
Grace Prayed For
The scripture passage prompts the reader to pray for the grace of radical trust in God’s creative and re-creative power, a deepening surrender to His will for our lives, and the courage to see ourselves and others as divinely chosen and crafted.
Reflection
Imagine yourself in the potter’s house, not just observing, but feeling the cool, malleable clay between your fingers. This passage from Jeremiah isn’t just a metaphor for Israel; it’s a profound declaration of God’s intimate involvement in your very existence. Before you drew your first breath, before a single cell began to divide, God, your Father in Heaven, chose to make you. He didn’t just choose to create humanity in general; He chose to create you, with your unique gifts, your particular heart, your very essence. Like the skilled potter, He kneaded the clay of your being, shaping you with intentionality and love.
The beauty of this image lies in the potter’s absolute sovereignty and his unwavering desire to bring forth a beautiful vessel. Even when the clay “turned out badly in his hand,” the potter didn’t discard it; he re-rolled it, reshaping it into another vessel “as it seemed best to the potter to do.” This speaks volumes about God’s relentless love for us. In our brokenness, in our moments of feeling “misshapen” or imperfect, He doesn’t abandon us. Instead, He patiently, lovingly, and powerfully works to reform us, to bring us back to the original, glorious design He envisioned. This isn’t about our worthiness; it’s about His steadfast love and His creative power. To say “Yes” to your existence is to say “Yes” to this divine artistry, to trust that even in the re-shaping, He is working for your ultimate good and His glory.
This truth draws us into a deeper intimacy with our Trinitarian God. We see the Father as the ultimate Designer, the one who conceives of us in love. We see the Holy Spirit as the ever-present hands of the Potter, continually molding, refining, and sanctifying us. And we see Jesus, the perfect vessel, the one through whom we are re-formed and made new. When we truly grasp that we are chosen and made by Him, our lives become an offering, a testament to His creative power and boundless love.
This profound realization cannot be contained within our hearts. When we understand ourselves as God’s chosen and cherished creation, every encounter becomes an opportunity to reflect this truth. Each person we meet is also a beloved creation, a unique vessel in the hands of the divine Potter. Our interactions become imbued with respect, compassion, and a recognition of the inherent dignity in every individual. We move from a place of self-doubt to one of confident, humble surrender to God’s plan, ready to see and affirm the divine spark in others, knowing that the same God who chose to make us, chose to make them too. This message, deeply rooted in our being, transforms our mission, empowering us to share the radical love of a God who chooses to make, and remake, us all.
Growing in Intimacy/Union with Jesus
This passage leads to greater intimacy with Jesus by revealing Him as the ultimate example of the “perfect vessel” formed by the Father. He perfectly embodies God’s design and surrender. Furthermore, it reminds us that through His sacrifice, Jesus offers us the ultimate “re-rolling” – the opportunity to be re-formed and made new in Him, becoming vessels fit for the Master’s use. His grace empowers us to cooperate with the divine Potter, trusting that even our brokenness can be transformed into something beautiful in His hands, leading us into a deeper communion with Him, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
When Time Allows Reflect on the Posts in Library and Musings
Sharing
Jesus last words on Earth were to his disciples, can be found in Matthew Chap 28 when Jesus told his disciples, “Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
Jesus calls all of us to share in his redemptive mission here on Earth. I would ask you to share this Scripture reflection with your family, your friends and your acquaintances, and then share it with a couple of individuals that you may may not be comfortable sharing with, keeping in mind always the words of Jesus, And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age
Author was assisted by AI in the drafting of this Post