In the Hands of the Potter, Part 1: The Clay and the Potter
What if being unfinished isn’t failure, but faith in the hands forming you?
The Clay and the Potter
Post 1 of the “In the Hands of the Potter” Series
The Hands That Shape
There’s something powerful about watching a potter at work.
The way their hands move—firm, yet gentle—the rhythmic spinning of the wheel, the careful shaping, the quiet intention behind every touch.
It’s not rushed.
It’s not accidental.
It’s an act of presence.
The kneading, the smoothing, the shaping and reshaping—
the water, the tools, the steady pressure,
the messy, strong, purposeful hands.
A lump becomes something beautiful and useful—not by accident, but by being held and shaped with love.
That image has always captured me.
The Painting That Stayed with Me
I first saw the painting years ago in an Ensign magazine—a woman at a pottery wheel, her hands steady as she shaped the clay, light brushing across her face as she worked with quiet strength. There was gentleness in her touch, and strength in her focus.
Something about it stirred me deeply. Something I couldn’t exactly pinpoint. I just knew it made my heart warm. I knew I wanted to keep it close so I could have that feeling every time I looked at it. I carefully cut it out, taped it to the back of my Preach My Gospel manual, and carried it with me every day of my mission.
Beneath the painting was a scripture I now carry in my heart:
Isaiah 64:8
“O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.”
It has become my steady reminder in seasons of refinement.
We are the clay. He is the potter. We are the work of His hands. He is shaping me. Be moldable.
That verse—and that painting—are the seeds of this series.
The Clay Doesn’t Shape Itself
Clay doesn’t become beautiful on its own.
In its raw form, it’s soft. Messy. Unformed. Sometimes it’s dry and cracked and needs to soak in some water to come back to its softer raw form.
And yet—clay holds potential.
But only when it’s placed in the hands of someone who knows how to shape it.
There are times in life when I feel like that raw clay—unsure, unfinished, uncertain if anything good can come from what I’m carrying. There have also been times when I’ve felt too dried out. Too cracked. Too broken to ever become soft again. To ever become something the Potter would be able to—or want to—work with and mold again.
But then I remember:
It’s not about my ability to shape myself.
It’s about who I’m surrendering to.
Just as a potter kneads the clay, presses out imperfections, and begins the work of molding—our Heavenly Father invites us to place ourselves in His hands.
To stop striving alone.
To trust Him to form what only He sees.
Different Clays, Same Potter
There are so many types of clay—Earthenware, stoneware, porcelain, air-dry, polymer, paper clay—and each one has its own makeup. Its own strength. Its own path to refinement.
Some are durable and gritty. Some are smooth and delicate. Some need extreme heat to become strong. Others dry quietly over time, without ever entering a kiln.
Each one was made for a different purpose.
Each one is shaped and finished in its own way.
But all can become beautiful in the hands of the Potter.
What a thought:
How beautiful will the pottery in heaven be—with all the different types of clay gathered together?
Each vessel shaped uniquely, with stories of refining and redeeming,
each one standing as a testimony to the same gentle, powerful Hands.
We are not the same—and we were never meant to be.
But we are all being formed by the same loving Creator.
The Series Begins
This is just the first post in a series I’m calling “In the Hands of the Potter.”
We’ll walk through the pottery process together—from shaping to firing, from cracks to golden restoration.
Each stage will invite us to reflect on the ways our Heavenly Father is working in us, even when we can’t see the full picture.
If you’ve ever felt broken, worn down, cracked, too raw, unshapeable, or unsure of where you’re headed—this series is for you.
You are not forgotten.
You are not finished.
You are the clay in His hands.
And what He is shaping is holy.
We are the Clay by Julie Rogers
About This Series: In the Hands of the Potter
This series was born from a painting I cut from an old Ensign magazine and taped to the back of my Preach My Gospel manual as a missionary. It features a woman shaping clay, paired with my favorite scripture:
“But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.”
Isaiah 64:8
That image and verse have stayed with me ever since—through refining seasons, healing, and quiet moments of becoming.
Pottery speaks deeply to my spirit.
It reminds me that God is not distant; He is close—His hands gently shaping, sometimes pressing, always creating with love.
Each post in this series explores a stage of pottery and the spiritual truths it reveals: from surrendering as clay, to enduring the fire, to finding beauty in brokenness.
We are not forgotten in our shaping.
We are held.
And we are being formed into something beautiful.
Would love to hear your thoughts and/or answers to these questions below in the comments!
Have you ever felt like the clay—cracked, dry, or unfinished? What helped you trust the process?
What does the image of a potter and clay stir in your own heart?
Is there a verse, image, or moment that has stayed with you in seasons of refining?
I really loved this. "Faith in the hands forming you." It gives me pause to think about how I am living my life and how I speak to myself. Also that He isn't done with me yet. I still have a long way to go and I need to trust Him. Thanks for this beautiful insight!!