"Stay With The Boat"

ILLUSTRATION: There is a parable from India about a water bearer who had two large pots, each hung on each end of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect and 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.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water in his master’s house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was made.

But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to

accomplish only half of what it had been made to do. After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream.

"I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you."

"Why?" asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?"

"I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master’s house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don’t get full value from your efforts," the pot said.

The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, "As we return to the master’s house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path. Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some.

But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again it apologized to the bearer for its failure. The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other pot’s side?

That’s because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you’ve 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 this beauty to grace his house."

Each of us has our own unique flaws. We’re all cracked pots. But if we will allow it, the Lord will use our flaws to grace His Father’s table.

So, here Peter wasn’t content to just watch Jesus walk on the water. He had to try it himself. He wanted to be like God, free of limitations and constraints. He wanted to do something spectacular. He also wanted to set himself apart from his friends. He wanted to do something that would make him stand out. My hunch is that if he had succeeded we would have had a few more stories about infighting among the disciples. So, it seems that pride and ego did Peter in. He wanted to be a water-walker instead of a human being. Far from being an example to follow, he’s an example to avoid.

So where does that leave us? What does this story say to you and me? Years ago, you may have taken a course in canoeing and rowing at Scout camp. As a part of the training, you have to flip your canoe and rowboat and then practice righting them in the water. Needless to say, it was a lot easier to flip one than it was to get it turned right side up. Sometimes for all your efforts you just couldn’t get it turned back over. At that point the instructors told you that if you ever capsized one and couldn’t right it there was only one thing to do: stay with the boat! They would drum that into you. Stay with the boat!