A few weeks ago I attended a blogger event at Cahaba Clayworks. Andrew and I were in the throes of fixing up the house and it seemed like really awful timing to leave for an evening, but I was committed and Andrew thought a break would do me good.
We sat and watched two masters spin clay while they tried to explain their craft in short easy sentences we could understand. One of the potters explained Centering: the clay needs to be evenly distributed in the center of the wheel so that it won’t wobble and the creation will look the same on all sides.
I quickly discovered that centering the clay was the trickiest part. When I watched the expert hands at work, they seemed to just gently press in and the ball of mud was centered. Then with light fingers they would pull a vase or a cup out of a lump. It was mesmerizing to watch.
But when I sat down at the wheel and tried for myself, I learned that they were actually applying a great deal of downward force on the clay to get it centered.
The wheel would spin wildly and I’d feel the clay be slightly off kilter under my clumsy fingers “ga-loop, ga-loop, ga-loop.”
With some instruction, I leaned in with my shoulders and pressed down with all my might. Suddenly the clay began to simply hum as it spun. Only then could I begin to make something truly lovely.
And that’s sort of what I’ve felt like lately: like the off-centered, off-key lump of clay. Imbalanced by all the spinning and not quite feeling as smooth as I ought.
I need to be centered.
But now I know: only with great pressure can the clay find the even spread.
And so my Potter presses down hard and I cringe and squish and fight, but the spin and the pressure are beginning to take effect. And then once I am centered, He can begin creating with me again, making me into something less lumpy, more beautiful to the eyes.
Fortunately, we’re going to spin our little world over to the beach tomorrow.* The beach is my centering place, where I go to remember I am dust (or mud) and God is so much bigger than all the plates that spin on this planet.
The last time I was at the beach, Mira was the unknown child I longed for, the one I knew was close but so far across the globe. The last time I was at the beach, Finn was outside my field of vision. The last time I was at the beach, I couldn’t have imagined that life could spin any faster. But it did.
So we’re gonna go rest and I’m gonna process and hold my babies and my big kids and swim and think and cry and laugh and soak up my people.
And maybe when I come back, I will hum like I ought and you’ll be able to see the Potter’s fingerprints once again.
To remind me of my day of pottery, I got to bring home a lovely plate for me and one for you.
*Giveaway Closed* Leave me a comment and tell me where you go to find your center, to balance out the rough spots. I’ll pick a winner this weekend and send this lovely plate to you. Thanks to Rachel at Grasping For Objectivity for including me! Go here to read more about the beautiful place we visited.
*Dear Creepy People: Aubrey will be house-sitting for us while we’re gone. She is Ferocious. You’ve been warned.
I go to my sister’s in CO. There, I can be who I am without pressure or expectations. That is just lovely.
Love this post and that plate! I hope your beach trip is just the centering you need. (I think you are something lovely to look at in your current state, though.) To center myself, I go to Al. He is just the right mix of listening and guidance for me.
LL, I love everything about this post. I hope the beach works its magic on you once more. Exciting to think about where you and your family will be at this time next year.
When I need to find my center, I talk to my mom or my best friend, journal, listen to music. The Grand Canyon had that affect on me, as does the beach.
A 3 p.m. or other randomly timed shower while the house is quiet. Somehow, its not “all business” when its not in the morning!
I don’t think I’ve commented on your blog before, but I wanted to say I hope you have a wonderful vacation! I too feel uncentered these days, and since a vacation is not happening right now, I do the next best thing – take the dog to a nearby field and walk for hours, pause by the stream, admire the sky and the trees in the wind. It helps to be outside in God’s creation.
Wow – what an incredibly beautiful post!!! I was just expecting a recap of a fun night, so when you brought it all back to the things that REALLY matter, it was like an inspiring surprise. Great writing, friend!!!
Worship music centers me. Bringing my focus back where it belongs – on HIM instead of on myself!
AW, have a great time at the beach, friend! Hoping y’all have beautiful weather and plenty of time to soak each other up!
I have been a big, messy, lumpy, ugly glob myself lately. I can’t get away very often but I find the most solace on just taking a walk ALONE so I can complete a thought or a prayer.
Jesus, a cup of coffee, his Word, the dark before the morning, and being alone are my centering place.
How fun! I had a battery-operated pottery wheel when I was a kid, and I remember how much harder it was to make things than I thought.
Nature centers me. Quiet and rest and getting away from the busyness of life helps too. I love the surf but I love mountains too.
Have a wonderful time!
My centering place is snuggled up next to my 6 year old as he falls asleep in my arms. At that point my heart is full, my mind is clear and my love for my family is all I need.
Your post so expresses where I have been. I find I have to return to home and remove distractions (too much activity) to begin with. Then being in nature. Beach is nature, isn’t it. Sounds like a great plan you have. Enjoy your bigs and littles and time in His presence.
I can’t see anymore. My eyes are filled with tears. I’m an analogy girl, and this one is good. It will live in me.
Where do I go to center myself? I go to music. I go outside. If I can get the two together, I’m positively giddy.
Beautiful post! The image of the Potter and his clay has always been one that resonates with me. When I’m feeling off center I go to music, preferably hymns or those taken straight from God’s Word.
I go to my bath tub and soak in the hottest water I can get… no matter where in the world the military sends us, I can almost always find a bath tub! It is where I gave my life to Christ just about 3 years ago today, and it is where I go when I need to center myself…
Love this post! LOL, I used to throw pots. Now I don’t have anywhere that I go. I think I’m just getting used to revolving haphazardly.
I have a favorite park on the river front. Water and shade and quiet are calming. If I can’t get there I’ve also been known to sit on the floor of my closet in the dark.
Oh, believe it or not, I go to a used book store in Nashville called McKays! Love it and it rejuvenates me to the very core!
You know I envision myself at a bookstore in a really comfy chair with a latte and a stack of magazines or books to peruse at my leisure… but really that never happens. sometimes, it’s when a worship song pops on in the car that i can sing out loud and just tune into meaningful words – sometimes the kids join me, sometimes they just wait till mommy’s done. or sometimes it’s after everyone goes to bed and i find a comfy spot on the couch with yarn to keep my hands busy and a cup of tea.
I go to the mountains. I haven’t been there in two years. Maybe this is why I feel like a big ga-loop. I’ve been absent. Please forgive me. I pray for you guys and hope that this beach trip is filled with memories like the sand will stick to your littles. Much love.
Yoga. Hot yoga to be specific. All that sweating is good detox and it’s hard work so you can’t help but not to turn your brain off from all the distractions and just concentrate on you. Then there is the 5 minute nap at the end and the cool washcloth infused with essential oils. Delightful! I also find this is a good time to pray as I am nice and peaceful. Sets me straight and gives me the energy to continue to face the world.
I like to go to this park that has shade and a big pond of ducks and just sit and think, then I am ready to get back to it all. Sometimes I write in a notebook different ideas I have or dreams for the future.
Home is my centering place. I love the early morning (or late night) quiet when everyone else is sleeping and all is calm & peaceful. I also have wonderful times with the Lord when I’m alone in my car.
Hope your beach time is all that you need it to be.
I find myself refreshed after a morning with my women’s Bible study or my MOPS group.
Beautiful post. I am not very centered– I often feel like I’m being pulled in so many different directions. Like you, the beach is my solace– I just need to sit in direct view of the ocean, toes in the sand, and rest. When I do that, I feel so much more at peace.
I tend to stay uncentered because I lose my focus on the One who centers me, and I worry, worry, worry about things I cannot (and am not supposed to) control. I usually find my center with my husband, because he tells me what I need to hear, and loves me in spite of my uncenteredness!
Beautiful post! I hope you have a fabulous trip. So, so fabulous.
I don’t plan it but my best times to think and pray are when I’m driving by myself or sewing.
I loved reading this. God knew it was exactly what I needed today. With 4 little ones under 8 years old, I can’t always find a solitary moment to “re-center” myself. However, I am learning that God provides time throughout my day (sometimes a few seconds and sometimes several minutes all lumped together) for me to refocus on Him and what His desires are for me at that moment.
You know I go to the beach for centering
This is absolutely gorgeous, an analogy that speaks to me SO deeply. I hope you have a marvelous time at the beach – it’s such a place of centeredness and respite. Love you!
love love love this! especially “dear creepy..”;) I have to say the beach is my #1 go to “place” for relaxing, centering, processing and making some of my favorite memories.:) We haven’t been in 4 years but thankfully I have a very vivid memory bank that includes sights, sounds, and smells that I return to. I love quiet early mornings with my Bible and thankfully I can have that as often as I can open my sleepy eyes.:) Praying you feel the hum of a rightly centered piece of clay.:) You are lovely, friend. blessings to you and the rest of the Fam, jen