The Journey to Porcelain

When I was studying art in college, I had to take a pottery class. It was a medium of art I had never had the privilege of working with. To say the least, it was difficult. I improved my skills throughout the semester, but did not come close to "having a handle" on this art form.

I remember being a bit frustrated when I would go to "paint" my pots and not know where colors were going to appear. Some colors will appear a different color as when they go through the kiln.

As life hands each one of us our fair share of challenges, we may forget what we can become through the challenges. Our lack of remembering is likely due to the fact we are uncomfortable going though the process and want leave the situation. This brings us to this week's quote...

A clay pot sitting in the sun will always be a clay pot. It has to go though the white heat of the furnace to become porcelain. ~ Mildred White Struven

There are a few things in life which we do not need to ever come out so hard that we are no longer flexible. However, this seems to not be the case in this quote.

Sometimes life can seem to be tough and cause us to experience some heat. That, however, is not the same as a furnace. The sun can appear pretty very hot, especially on summer months. Even with that heat, it does not compare to the furnace heat.

Furnace heat is extremely hot. I cannot imagine how hot a furnace would get. Regardless, the heat that is found in the furnace is needed to help the clay journey to become porcelain.

Now it's your turn...What have you experienced that has been the heat of your "furnace" which has helped you get through life issues?