The Tale of Two Pails

(A Jewish Tale)

Once upon a time there lived a wonderful person who walked to the river everyday carrying a long pole stretched across his broad shoulders. The pole was laden with a bucket hanging from each end. Day after day he knelt by the river's edge to gather water to deliver to the people of his community.

After many years of making this daily trek, one of the buckets slipped off, hit the hard ground and cracked. The wonderful person continued to use the bucket, even though it leaked along the daily pilgrimage. Eventually the bucket became self-conscious, "I used to hold two gallons of water. Now I leak. I used to be proud to work for my master. Now, I look at my neighbor bucket who is still proud and I feel jealous. I feel resentful. I don't like the way I feel, but it is too much for me.

The bucket called to its Master, "Please destroy me. I don't want to be here anymore. I don't like that I can no longer reach the full potential I was created for. My neighbor bucket is still able to carry two gallons of water. I barely have one gallon left when I reach the homes."

The Master said, "Don't you know how good the world has become because of your brokenness? Please, come with me. Let me show you how beautiful the world is because you hung from my pole on the right side of the road, right where I put you. Do you see the flowers there? Every place you dripped through your brokenness, I planted a seed. Because you were broken, the dry, barren ground was watered and a flower bloomed.

Precious child of God, your tears are not for naught when you walk with the Master. Faith and hope that grow through your brokenness bring glory to God, beauty to the world. How? Because, just like the Master continued to carry the broken bucket, our Master continues to carry us. The world sees that we are not abandoned or cast aside because we have fallen. The world sees that He gives us beauty for ashes, a garland of praise for the spirit of heaviness.

If you noticed, the broken bucket was very honest with its Master and, what did the Master do? He gave the bucket understanding and purpose. The Master revealed that even in our darkest moments, He is working everything together for our good.

I hope my tears produce daisies and black-eyed susans along my path. They're my favorite.

Psalm 126:5,6 "Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him."

Blessed Lord, Thank you for working everything together for our good. Help us to allow beauty to come from our brokenness. Lord, we desire to glorify You in everything we do - to let the Beauty of the Lord be manifest along our paths, for our sorrow to break forth into joy because of You.