This is a Chinese Proverb I came across years ago.

A water bearer had two large pots. Each hung on the ends of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot always delivered a full portion of water.

At the end of the long walk from the stream to the 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 of water to his house.

Of course, the pot that did not leak was proud of its accomplishments, 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 2 years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. “I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes me to leak out all the way back to your house.”

The bearer said to the pot, “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.”

When I think about cracked pots, I think of those terra cotta flowerpots that seem to break so easily. Being a person who is reluctant to throw things away, I have found that they will often still hold plants and are quite useful. Thankfully, God has a similar point of view.

2 Corinthians 4:6–7 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

In the Chinese proverb, the cracked pot shared life-giving water. Jesus said that his followers, we jars of clay, have His light in our hearts that should shine through our cracked pots for others to see. He chooses to use us to take His message to the world around us. We need to show Jesus –  His life, His death, His resurrection – in what we speak and in our actions.

Each of us have our own flaws. God will use the cracks and flaws in your life for His purposes. Rejoice that you are a cracked pot who has been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ and let His shine through you.