Trial by Fire

“Trial by Fire”…How many people truly understand the meaning of that phrase? If you do understand it, how many of us understand the benefits of it?

When I was first married, I enrolled in a ceramics class, just for the fun of learning something new. The first thing I learned was how difficult it was and how many steps were required to create even a small bowl that was strong enough to survive the process.

First, a lump of clay has to be thrown as forcefully as possible and many times onto a table to make it malleable. Then it must be aggressively kneaded over and over to squeeze out air bubbles and impurities and make it even more malleable. The idea is to make it “obey” the potter so that the creation turns out exactly as planned. Once the clay is free from impurities and air bubbles, the potter places the lump in the exact center of the flat wheel, and the creation processes begins.

            Using some of the clay mixed with water, called “slip,” the potter begins to hollow out the lump and pull the sides up as the wheel spins. If the clay gets the slightest bit off center, it collapses on the wheel, and a misshapen blob flails around as the potter slows the wheel down and starts over, kneading the clay again. Once the bowl appears to be finished, a wire is used to scrape the bowl off of the wheel and dry out a bit until it’s ready for the oven. At this point, it’s still fragile and can’t be used at all. 

 Now come the tricky part – the oven, or kiln. This special oven is slowly heated up to almost 2,000 degrees F. If it heats up too fast, the bowl will explode. If there’s too much water or impurities left in the clay, it will not only explode, but will shatter any other bowls or pieces that are around it. Most of us in the class lost one or two pieces at some point during the course because the heat revealed the weaknesses that were left in the clay.

After the appropriate baking time, the oven slowly begins to cool. As with the heating up, if the temperature change is too rapid, the clay bowl will explode.

But wait, there’s more. The pieces are now very hard, but not done yet. The pieces still have to be dipped in a glaze for color and sealant, then back into the oven they go for another slow baking process and cooling process. By the way, if one of the pieces is touching another in the hot oven, they fuse together permanently, and the impurities of one are linked with the impurities of the other forever. Once the piece is finally cooled, it is now done. 

So, what does a clay bowl have to do with us?

By now, you may have noticed the similarities in our development and that of a clay bowl. All of us feel thrown on a table at some point and kneaded and kneaded to squeeze out the impurities. Some of us may require more kneading than others, but eventually we are ready for the wheel, and our lives begin to take shape. If we become off-center, we will flail around and have to be kneaded again in order to become what we are meant to be. Our Master Potter has an idea and a plan on how we are to be used, and He will apply the necessary pressure needed to get us where we need to be. Being thrown, falling off the center, being squeezed, and then kneaded again hurts. It’s exhausting and seems unnecessary to us. But it is making us ready to withstand the heat of the oven.

The oven is the true test of what we’re made of. Right now, at this time in history, we are all in the oven. We have made it through the throwing and kneading process, otherwise we wouldn’t be in the oven. But we ARE here now, and the door is locked until we are ready to be taken out. Dancers are feeling the heat because they can’t work or even rehearse, performers can’t be in theaters, musicians can’t play live concerts, so many people are out of work. Singers can’t practice because they can’t sing with masks on, all medical workers are nervous about contracting the illness, restaurants, stores, most businesses, ALL are feeling the extreme heat, and we want to explode. 

Here’s the good news: Unlike lumps of clay, we have a choice. We don’t have a choice of being in the oven, but we DO have a choice as to how to respond to the heat. Our Master Potter has kneaded us and gotten us ready, and His desire is that we will be strong and ready to work and serve. His plan is for all of us in the fire is to get stronger and stronger, never to fall apart. But we still have the choice.

So how do you want to emerge from the oven? Will you be strong, valuable, ready to fulfill your purpose? Or do you prefer to explode under pressure and splatter anger and damaging words on everyone around you? Either way, people are going to be affected by our own experience in the oven. We can shatter the lives of those around us, or we can serve each other through our strength. We can inspire through our kindness. It is our trial by fire.

The heat is on – Dance on.