The brilliance and creativity of the potter were on full display in the large shop window. Pieces in every shape, size, and color imaginable filled the heavy shelves. Some were tall and lean, others short and squat. Some were finely painted and polished, others rough and natural. Some were made for obvious purposes, others for more elusive ones.

Curious, I pushed open the shop door, triggering a bronze bell that announced my arrival. Soft music played from an old speaker in the corner.

The space was cozy and inviting. Chunky mugs hung on hooks and daisies in jars of clay dotted the room. An antique-looking potter’s wheel sat discreetly in the back corner along with two distressed wooden chairs. Sketches on weathered paper covered the walls.

An elaborate sketch caught my eye and beckoned me to come closer. The piece in the drawing was complex and the level of detail surprised me. Measurements and notes filled the margins and the maker’s seal was stamped into the corner. It occurred to me that I had never before considered the planning stage or how much thought and preparation went into each piece.

I am the Potter, you are the clay. A scripture fragment hidden in my heart long ago rose to the surface of my soul. My skin prickled as the sacred realization began to sink in and the pottery shop seemed to come alive with meaning.

The sketch now conveyed something deeper—just like the piece of pottery, I was planned—created on purpose and for a purpose. I glanced at the sketches that filled every space from floor to ceiling. All of us were.

For we are God’s handiwork,
created in Christ Jesus to do good works,
which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 2:10

A shift in my thinking occurred on that surprisingly sacred day. Seeing myself as an intentional creation of God humbled me and helped me understand on a deeper level who God was and who I was in relation to Him. Seeing others as God’s handiwork

A slightly edited version of this article was featured on Proverbs 31.