The Cracked Water Pot

An old gardener carried two clay pots on a pole across his shoulders every morning. One pot was perfect. The other had a crack along its side, and by the time he reached the garden, it had lost half its water.

The cracked pot felt ashamed. One day it said, "I am sorry. I am not as useful as the other pot. I fail you every day."

The gardener smiled and said, "Look at the path on your side tomorrow."

The next morning the pot watched carefully. Along its side of the road, small flowers had bloomed in yellow, white and violet. On the side of the perfect pot, the ground was plain.

When they arrived, the gardener said, "I knew about your crack. I planted seeds on your side. Every day, while you thought you were losing water, you were giving life."

The pot had spent so long hating its weakness that it never saw the beauty God was bringing through it.